YEAR-END ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT
In support to the non-formal education program of the DepEd, the City Schools Division of Dasmarinas provides Basic Education in terms of Alternative Learning System through the implementation of the major literacy programs cum livelihood namely: Basic Literacy Program (BLP), Accreditation and Equivalency Program (A & E) for Elementary and Secondary Level. Basic Education has been implemented through the collaboration of LGU, IMs, Mobile Teachers, ALS Coordinators, Principal Consultant and District Supervisor. The Alternative Learning System (ALS A&E) Test response to providing alternative learning to Out of School Youth (OSY) and adults (OSA) to earn educational qualification to enable school leavers and adult to gain more through reading, writing and numeracy skills to meet their learning goals. It aimed to eradicate illiteracy, help lessen poverty, and unemployment by providing them necessary certificate equivalent to an Elementary or Secondary Diploma. They could use it as a mainstream to formal education to enhance their capabilities by raising their basic and functional literacy skills to be able to pursue higher learning or get better jobs. The ALS programs and activity in the City of Dasmariñas are committed of helping the people to attain the quality of life, to uplift the conditions of the people in the community and help to find direction as people perform their roles and functions guided with the support of implementers, facilitators, promoters and providers.
ALS is also geared for the acquisition of basic knowledge, attitudes, values and skills that will serve as a powerful tool in combating illiteracy and opens great opportunities for all individuals. The curriculum for the ALS must given full attention, if it has to be developed and at the same time strengthened.
Alternative Learning System should be a common responsibility for all stake holders in the locality, a big participation and encouragement to diminish nor lessen the increasing number of drop outs in the formal school and as to greatly contribute to Education For All by 2015.
1.Introduce ALS programs in the community through various Advocacy and Social Mobilization (ADSOC-MOB) strategies. 2.Integrate values education and functional literacy skills in all courses. 3.Improve / Upgrade the physical facilities of effective implementation of Alternative Learning System Program. 4.Increase accessibility and proximity of community learning centers to the ALS clientele. 5.Engage NGO’s in the implementation of the community-based literacy programs outside the formal school system. 6.Encourage and facilitate OSY’s and OSA’s to acquire educational opportunities III.HIGHLIGHTS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1.Training-Workshop on eLearning for District ALS Coordinators January 25-28, 2011
Development Academy of the Philippines
Sponsoring Agency: DepEd BALS
Participant: Serma H. Hernandez, DALSC
-Demonstrate understanding of the teaching-learning strategies, and assessment strategies, facilitating and mentoring techniques for adult learners in the delivery of the Computer-Based Instruction -Explain the concepts and principles that underpin the eSkwela Instructional Model -Operationalize the Moodle Learning Management System in different content -Acquire knowledge in basic moodle administration and basic troubleshooting; and -Manage the day-to-day operation
Objectives were met during the training. Implementation of the program in the division was not yet able realize. There must be first training of the implementers in the division level, due to the financial problem involved in the training, it is not yet been implemented. The program was absolutely good and will enhance the participative involvement and retention rate of the learners....


The Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a product of the computer age which is changing the way that music is composed, written, performed and learned. Through MIDI sequencing and editing, musicians now have access to thousands of voices and effects which were previously unavailable, giving rise to a new type of musician: one whose repertoire includes computer literacy as well as musical literacy. This research considers the effect of MIDI on music education, and ways in which MIDI is likely to be used in the education field in the future.
MIDI was developed in 1983 to enable musical synthesizers and samplers from different manufacturers to communicate with one another. This industry-wide standard provides a common language and hardware interface so musical instruments can communicate with each other and with any device that can accept MIDI commands.
The MIDI standard is implemented today by nearly every synthesizer and sampler manufacturer on the market, as well as almost every microcomputer sound board available. MIDI is used by engineers in recording studios to assist in complicated mixing situations, by Broadway theaters to control lighting and special effects, and by theme parks to automate attractions and complex displays such as those with hydraulic controls.
The basic commands of the MIDI language are, for the most part, musical information. Examples include the various commands to turn a musical note on, the specific note to play, the velocity (how loud) to play that note, and the command to turn a note off. Even though they represent only the most basic of MIDI commands, these four pieces of information can be used to control an array of equipment or play an entire song. By storing this MIDI information in a file and sending it to a sound card, the card synthesizer can convert it to music.
A MIDI sequencer in its simplest form provides the ability to record a series of actions (which produce MI...


SRA Open Court Reading is the foundation of the language arts program with practice in traditional phonics, reading fluency, comprehension, spelling, vocabulary and writing. All grades use reading curriculum that is one grade level above current grade level. However, students may work at grade level or even 2 grade levels ahead.
Grammar is taught using Shurley Grammar. Shurley Grammar helps students understand each sentence part and how the parts look together to create a variety of sentences. This is accomplished by using a unique Question and Answer Flow process in a group environment to analyze the parts of a sentence. Jingles help students learn grammar concepts.
The writing process is taught using Ruth Culham’s 6+1 Traits of Writing. The traits include ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice, and conventions. Students learn how to craft sentences, express their ideas, expand, improve, and edit their writing. They express their own ideas through formal and creative writing.
Social studies and science are based on the Core Knowledge Sequence Content Guidelines, which is a detailed outline of specific content taught in history, geography, and science. Students explore this content through reading, hands-on projects and activities, and research including traditional resources in the library and internet.
Saxon Math is taught with attention to individual participation and practice to mastery. Students gain a cognitive understanding of the number system as a result of hands on experiences and story problems. Basic arithmetic operations and exercises in problem solving combine to develop higher level math skills. Our students are taught one grade level ahead in Saxon Math. However, students may work at grade level or even 2 grade levels ahead.
Handwriting is more than a fine motor skill. Research shows that handwriting instruction and handwriting skill impact students’ overall literacy development and that early fine motor writing skills predict later academic achievement. Cursive is introduced in second grade, reinforced in third, and is required for certain assignments in the upper elementary grades.
Students receive daily instruction in Spanish, Music, and Physical Education. They also attend library and computer classes weekly.


The Certificate of School Based Assessment on Continuous Comprehensive Assessment will be available from the CBSE and the end of Class X. This will be filled up in the school and sent to the concerned RO in CBSE for countersignature. All regular students who have undergone a course of study at the X class of an affiliated school of CBSE shall be issued this certificate with effect from the year 2011.
The assessment for Scholastic and Co-Scholastic areas shall be objective and should indicate the performance of the student in a manner as desired below. The assessment will be recorded at the end of Class X in CCE card. This card has been divided into three parts. Now with effort for October 2009, CCE is being implemented in its strengthened form in class IX in all CBSE affiliated schools. In the session 2010-11, this will be implemented in both classes IX and X.
As far as Certificate of School Based Evaluation in Classes IX & X is concerned, the THREE parts are given below:
Part 1 consists of the evaluation of Scholastic Attainments which will be reflected both for classes IX & X in this card in the form of Grades and Percentile Rank.
1. There will be two terms in both classes IX & X, the first term will be from April – September and the second term from October to March of the subsequent year.
2. Each term will have two Formative and one Summative Assessment.
3. Assessment will be indicated in Grades and Percentile rank.
4. The grading Scale for the Scholastic Domain is a nine point grading Scale given at the back of the card.
PART 1 (B):
1. This will assess students for Work-Experience, Art Education and Physical and Health Education
2. It will be assessed on a five point grading scale
3. Descriptive Indicators are statements used to describe each learner
4. Overall Grade will be given at the end of class IX and class X
Part 2 consists of Co-Scholastic Areas where participants are assessed in two parts; 2(A) Life Skills and Attitudes and Values (2B).
1. Life Skills: This consists of Thinking Skills, Social Skills and Emotional Skills which will be assessed on a five point grading Scale (given at the back of the card).
1. This consists of attitude towards Teachers, Schoolmates, School Programmes and Environment and will be assessed on a three point grading Scale.
2. Value Systems refers to the framework which must be developed right through primary to secondary level. These will be assessed on a three point grading Scale.
Part 3 consists of Co-Scholastic areas where in choice in participation and assessment thereof is available. This part consists of two sub parts.
1. Literary & Creative skills, scientific skills, Aesthetic Skills and Performing Art and Clubs (Eco, Health and Wellness clubs etc.).
Eight different kinds of activities have been provided.
1. Sports/ Indigenous sports (Kho-Kho etc.)
2. NCC / NSS
3. Scouting and Guiding
7. First Aid
The learner needs to be assessed on any two from the first subpart (3A) and any two from second subpart (3B).
Except Life Skills each of these Co-scholastic areas will be assessed on a three point grading Scale.
Assessment of Scholastic attainments 1(A) will be reported once in class IX and once in class X.
Assessment of Scholastic attainments 1(B) will be reported once in class IX and once in class X.
Assessment of Co-Scholastic 2(A) and 2(B) will be reported once in class IX and once in class X.
Assessment of Co-Scholastic 3(A) and 3(B) will be reported once in class IX and once in class X.
The nine point grading scale for measuring Scholastic achievements is reproduced below:
For marks 91-100 grade is A1
For marks 81-90 grade is A2
For marks 71-80 grade is B1
For marks 61-70 grade is B2
For marks 51-60 grade is C1
For marks 41-50 grade is C2
For marks 33-40 grade is D
For marks 21-32 grade is E1
For marks 00-20 grade is E2
Note: All assessment with regard to the academic status of the students shall be done in marks and overall assessment will be given in grades.
The Assessment of Performance in the areas like Work Experience, Art Education and Health & Physical Education will to be done on 5-point scale given at the back of the card. It is A+, A, B+, B and C.


Sections / Articles
NAESP on Leading Early Childhood Learning Communities
By Kelly D. Pollitt
December 2013, Volume 37, Issue 4
Communities, policymakers, and educators are united in their support of robust early childhood learning opportunities for all children, especially those from disadvantaged households. In fact, three out of four Americans believe preschool programs for children from low-income households would help these same children perform better in school in their teenage years, according to “Which way do we go?” The 45th annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. The poll also reports that almost two out of three Americans are willing to support these programs with taxes.
Now, more than ever, principals understand the importance of providing every child a high-quality early childhood educational experience, due to the profound and lasting effect of developing an academic pathway that leads to college and career-readiness. The opportunity for high-quality early learning and student success relies on systems and schools providing a seamless continuum of learning for children from age three to grade three, ensuring effective alignment of appropriate curricula and instructional leadership practices.
In 2005, NAESP developed Leading Early Childhood Learning Communities: What Principals Should Know and Be Able to Do, a resource to guide instructional leaders in supporting the youngest learners. The standards-based publication has helped principals rethink the connection between early childhood centers and elementary schools, and understand the importance of creating appropriate early learning experiences where there are gaps in local systems. The publication continues to provide principals with sound practical knowledge through six indicators of effective strategies for instructional leadership practice in the prekindergarten and early elementary years. However, as the research and knowledge on child development and early childhood education has advanced, effective practices for instructional leaders related to early learning and the academic, social, emotional, and physical development of young children has evolved.
In response to these developments, NAESP has launched a comprehensive effort to revise and update its base of knowledge on effective instructional leadership practices in early childhood education. As a part of this effort, NAESP has partnered with VINCI Education, home of award-winning VINCI Blended Learning curriculum and Class VINCI, to address and promote effective leadership and improve instruction and learning practice in early childhood education. This partnership will produce resources supporting effective P-3 leadership practice, including integrating blending learning and technology in the early years and creating professional development to build the capacity of principals.
NAESP and VINCI Education recognize the importance of high-quality early learning opportunities for all children, and will work together to help build the capacity of principals in P-3 education to close and ultimately prevent achievement gaps between students from disadvantaged households and their more affluent peers. NAESP and VINCI are committed to establishing evidence and best practices to help teachers and principals successfully incorporate blended learning and technology into their classrooms.
Over the next several months, NAESP will convene an advisory group of early childhood experts as well as a working group of principals to examine the critical questions. The research will provide the foundation for the revised standards and practical guidance for principals. The materials and final body of knowledge will be released at NAESP’s 2014 annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee, which takes place July 11-13. For more information, please contact me at email@example.com.
Kelly D. Pollitt is Associate Executive Director for Policy, Public Affairs, and Special Projects at NAESP.
Copyright © 2013. National Association of Elementary School Principals. No part of the articles in NAESP magazines, newsletters, or website may be reproduced in any medium without the permission of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. For more information, view NAESP's reprint policy


|Written by||Dallas Cline and Pat Tornborg|
|Illustrator|| Nancy Stevenson|
Tom Cooke (front cover only)
|Publisher||Music Sales Corp.|
|Series||Sesame Street Music Corner|
How to Play Nearly Everything is a music education book by Dallas Cline, originally published in 1977. The book is billed as "a joyful introduction to 10 folk instruments anyone can play", including the kazoo, the washboard, spoons, and the washtub bass.
In 1982, Music Sales Corp. published a Sesame Street edition of the book, as part of a "Sesame Street Music Corner" series. This series of three book/instrument sets was designed to hang on racks in music stores, targeted at young children visiting the store while their older siblings are shopping for more complicated instruments. The Sesame version featured additional text by Pat Tornborg, and illustrations by Nancy Stevenson. The book was packaged with a kazoo and two wooden mallets.
The other books in the "Sesame Street Music Corner" series were Bert and Ernie's Harmonica Book and Professor Grover's Cute Furry Little Pennywhistle Book.


A social work mission statement is a document drafted by a group or an organization on a mission to do social work. The statement helps the organization to create awareness about the social work that they are doing. The details mentioned in the statement include the kind of social work being done by the group or organization and the purpose of doing it. There are also other details that can be mentioned that includes achievements made till now in the social work.
Sample Social work mission statement
Literacy and Child Care Organization
Social work mission
There are number of countries in Africa where there is no proper education facility available. The mission of our organization is to build and created educational facilities to children of those under developed countries. We intend to set up schools in such areas and also hire volunteers who will work as teachers. We also intend to supply books and develop an educational program for the schools. In those areas where it would be difficult to set up schools, we will have makeshift classes made of tents.
Objectives of social work:
The main objectives of this social work mission are:
- To provide education to the children of these African countries
- To spread literacy so that there is development in these countries
Achievements made till now:
We have been successful in setting schools that provide elementary education to children between the age group of five to fifteen in the remote areas on Somalia. We have ten volunteers who work as teachers.


Learning to Learn tsfranklin
In keeping with the proven Montessori approach, mixed-age groups in each classroom create the opportunity where students become each other’s mentors and teachers. The space is designed specifically for children this age to facilitate their learning from teachers, their peers, and their surroundings.
The structured line time allows students the opportunity to learn how to listen and hear instruction before venturing on to their designated learning tasks. This is a life-long skill students of all ages will employ.
Specifically, the Montessori instruction focuses four main areas:
Practical life – The key area of the classroom. All of the early learning begins here: dexterity, eye-hand coordination, shape and form recognition, matching, sorting, tracing, early counting, and many other “practical life” skills. Practical life work is also done in the kitchen with water pouring, polishing, washing and scrubbing activities.
Sensorial – The study of shape, color, size, weight, texture is learned through the senses. Materials vary from large motor skill development to refined logical thinking work. The triangle boxes are a key part of sensorial, as are the study of puzzles, the five animal groups and the early botany work.
Language – Early language work consists of object boxes, which teach a child the name of each letter and the sound it tells us to make. The use of sandpaper letters for the child to trace their forms. Intermediate language work consists of blending the individual sounds, lots of three-letter phonetic word building, word matching, word and picture matching, and reading short sentences. Advanced language work involves more handwriting, reading books, learning four-letter word blends, silent e words, and some phonograms too.
Mathematics – Equipment on the math shelves ranges form teaching 1-10, both numeral recognition and counting, the teen number, counting in tens and mastering 1-100. Then the work leads up to the decimal system exploring numerals and quantities up to 10,000. Along the way the children acquire the understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and dynamic math. The Montessori math equipment is excellent and includes the geometric cabinet with a study of the geometric solids.
Additionally there is a specific geography area, which includes puzzle maps of the earth, all six continents, and the United States. Globes and various world studies add to this geography unit.


By Will English, SED 2016
“Teaching is a woman’s profession.”
It’s statements like this that define my career choice. The moment I tell someone about my major here at Boston University, they’re shocked to hear that I want to be a teacher, let alone an elementary school teacher.
Yet the more I think about it, all I can ask is, why? If society places such a heavy emphasis on education, then where are all the male teachers? MenTeach, a non-profit organization formed to promote an increase in the number of male teachers in U.S. public schools, conducted research and found that the percent of male teachers in elementary and middle school classrooms across the nation has hovered around 16% to 18% for the past 20 years. And while it is slightly more equal in secondary schools (42% of teachers being male), it is still an accepted notion that teaching is a woman’s job.
But what is it that turns men away from becoming a teacher? Is it the salary? Or the often harsh stereotypes that follow a male teacher? Or maybe it’s simply the fact that teachers have historically been women? It’s concerns like these that cause men to shy away from teaching, especially at the elementary school level, and create the burning need for more male teachers within our public school system.
While it can be tough to overcome these obstacles as a male teacher, it is important that we work towards a more equal distribution of male and female teachers. And it all starts at the university level, recruiting more men to go into the field of education and showing them the benefits that teaching can have on their own lives, as well as the lives of countless children.
For instance, we all know the stereotypes about elementary school boys (and I was one of them): they’re the trouble makers and class clowns who never want to be in school. But as a male teacher, I can show a young boy that it’s “cool” for a guy to be in the classroom and to work hard in school. Acting as a role model for these young boys can be the push they need to find success in school.
This is what makes being a teacher so rewarding. I teach because I love working with children. I love the big smile on every child’s face after that fantastic moment of discovery. I love knowing that I have the ability to make a difference in the lives of all my students. That’s why I teach; not just to foster the knowledge of young children, but because of the personal satisfaction I find knowing that I have made a difference.
All students deserve the best education possible, whether that comes from a man or a woman, and a good teacher can make all the difference. So regardless of how female dominated the education field is, I’ll keep going against the grain and doing what I love– teaching.
*Will English is a sophomore at Boston University School of Education studying elementary education.


Exploring the emergent literacy needs of preschoolers with language impairments
MetadataShow full item record
Current research indicates the need to identify and support children at-risk for reading difficulties as early as possible. Children with language impairments are one group of children who have been shown to be at-risk for literacy problems. Their difficulties likely stem from the challenges they tend to experience with acquiring emergent literacy skills as preschoolers. Very little empirical work has been done with preschoolers with language impairments to explore the nature of their emergent literacy development or their response to interventions which target emergent literacy skills. In the present study, 55 preschoolers with language impairments were recruited from a speech and language centre in Southern Ontario. The nature of the relationship between children's early language and literacy skills was explored using measures of their written language awareness, phonological awareness and oral language abilities, in an attempt to better understand how to conceptualize their emergent literacy abilities. Furthermore, a between-subjects design was used to compare two language interventions: an experimental emergent literacy intervention and a standard intervention based on traditional models of speech and language therapy. Results indicated that preschooler's emergent literacy abilities can be understood as a broad, multi-dimensional construct consisting of three separate but interrelated components: written language awareness, phonological awareness, and oral language. The emergent literacy-enhanced intervention was generally superior to the standard language intervention in improving children's skills in written language awareness, and children with the most severe impairments seemed to benefit the most from the experimental intervention. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as areas for future research are discussed. .


Dorothy Ashby (Detroit, MI - August 6, 1932 - April 13, 1986) was born Dorothy Jeanne Ashby. One of the first harpists to contribute to the classic hard bop and jazz-funk recordings, she grew up in the Detroit scene, where her father, guitarist Wiley Thompson, rehearsed with jazz musicians at his home, where Dorothy played the piano in the background.
She played saxophone and bass in the Cass Technical High School Band, where jazz greats Donald Byrd, Gerald Wilson, and Kenny Burrell attended. She wanted her own harp because, at school, fourteen other students shared five harps. She commented, "This isn't just a novelty, though that is what you expect. The harp has a clean jazz voice with a resonance and syncopation that turn familiar jazz phrasing inside out." She attended Wayne State University, for piano and music education. When she graduated, Dorothy went to work in lively Detroit jazz scene.
Although she could work as a pianist, she wanted to play harp more and, in 1952, she bought her harp. To contest the resistance to the concept of the harp as a jazz instrument, she organized free shows and played for dancers with her trio that included her husband John Ashby on drums. They toured and recorded on a number of jazz labels in the 1960s. Dorothy played with Louis Armstrong, Woody Herman, and others, and in 1962, was nominated in down beat's annual poll of best jazz performers.
She worked with John Ashby, who founded the Ashby Players, a theater company in Detroit. In the late 1960s, tired of touring, they relocated to California, where Dorothy broke into the closed studio system, which had enough harpists. Bill Withers recommended her to Stevie Wonder. She did a steady stream of recording session with Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Earth, Wind & Fire and Barry Manilow.


Planning for the holidays and Christmas isn’t any fun unless you add some science into the mix. It is pretty evident that we love science around here and we love making it more about the end result than just the demonstration. That’s why I’ve gathered up our all-time favorite christmas science experiments for kids. I am pretty sure you will have a blast too!
Must Try Christmas Science Experiments for Kids
Science experiments for kids can be found almost anywhere. In fact, I just put together a list of gift ideas for kids who love science experiments just the other day. There are so many classic experiments that you can find to do that take almost no time or prep at all. The ones I truly love to do with my kids are the ones that require them to think outside the box just a tad and look for answers on their own.
Christmas Physics for Kids
Christmas Chemistry for Kids
Christmas Life Science for Kids
Christmas Earth Science for Kids
So now its your turn to tell me what your favorite Christmas Science Experiment is! What do you love trying this time of year and what is on your wish list to try next? I can’t wait to hear all about it!
More Christmas Science Experiments or Kids
For More Christmas and Holiday Tips and Ideas
I’ve joined several of my favorite people to bring you our monthly Top Ten lists! This month, everyone is sharing a Top Ten list for anything and everything Christmas and Holiday. There are more than 150 ideas represented here! How cool is that!
Top 10 MUST DO Christmas Crafts from Powerful Mothering
Top 10 Christmas Wreaths for Kids to Make from Craftulate
Top 10 Christmas Themed Story Activities from Adventures of Adam
Top 10 Christmas Games to Play from Play & Learn Everyday
Top 10 Creative Footprint Christmas Crafts from Fun Handprint Art
Top 10 Festive Ways for a Christmas Countdown from Witty Hoots
Top 10 Nativity Crafts for Kids from Something 2 Offer
Top 10 Christmas Cards for Kids from Crafty Kids at Home
Top 10 Christmas Printables for Your Home & Family from Sunny Day Family
Top 10 DIY Christmas Crafts for Kids to Make from Peakle Pie
Top 10 Best Christmas Oreo Cookies for Kids from Christmas Tree Lane
Top 10 Reindeer Kid Crafts from The Resourceful Mama
Top 10 Must Read Christmas Books from School Time Snippets
Top 10 Gingerbread Themed Crafts for Kids from Artsy Momma
Top 10 Preschool Printables for Christmas from Living Life and Learning
Top 10 Best Holiday Slimes | Little Bins for Little Hands


Happy New Year from NAEYC! What will inspire your work with young children this year? We reviewed some of our web posts from this past year and found these ideas and inspirations. Make sure to share your own inspirations with us below.
1. Classroom Stories That Celebrate Teachers and Children
2. Support for Strong Start for America's Children
Children’s early learning experiences set the course for success in school and life. We were inspired by how many of our members and readers participated in the Strong Start campaign. Thanks to you all! If you haven’t participated yet you still can.
3. The New DAP Focus Series
These age specific DAP books offer ideas for Developmentally Appropriate Practice for each age and stage. If you’re new to DAP this online DAP primer explains DAP and offers links to many resources to help you in your teaching.
4. Ten Things to Say instead of “Good Job”
Wow! So many readers shared this article on social media so we know it really resonated. Recognize children's achievements and encourage their learning with these ten alternatives to saying "good job" from TYC.
5. Integrating STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
Early childhood teachers are preparing children to be critical thinkers by integrating Science, Technology, Engineering and Math learning in thoughtful ways. The opening session of the 2013 annual conference showed how the arts can be integrated into STEM learning. This excerpt from Spotlight on Young Children: Exploring Science shows science learning in action at the water table. And a new survey gathers information on how teachers are using the Technology and Young Children position statement in their work.
6. New Research on Dual Language Learners
This blog post updated us on the growing body of research which shows many benefits to growing up learning and thinking in two languages and offers ways early childhood teachers can support the dual language learners in their programs. A Young Children article offers more ideas for supporting the literacy development of dual language learners.
7. The 10 NAEYC Programs Standards
Did you know that there are over 6500 childcare programs accredited by NAEYC serving more than 1 million children? NAEYC accredited programs follow the 10 Program Standards. Read about them here.
8. Ten Things Every Parent Should Know about Play
Here’s another post that our readers shared widely on social media. Through play children learn and develop cognitive skills – like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store and so much more.
9. Teachers Who Do Their Own Research!
An infant teacher writes in her journal as part of her self-reflection; another teacher explores how 2-year-olds make theories about physical and chemical changes taking place during cooking. These teachers ask and explore deep questions as they teach and then write about their own teacher research.
10. NAEYC Members
We are so proud and inspired by the many diverse and wonderful ways NAEYC members promote quality early childhood education in the work they do. Read about our members and share your story with us. Not a member? Learn about the many benefits of joining the NAEYC community.
Share what inspires you below!


Teaching Writing in Kindergarten: A Structured Approach to Daily Writing That Helps Every Child Become a Confident, Capable Writer by Randee Bergen
By: Pat Mumford
Date: March 23, 2009
Summary: Teaching Writing in Kindergarten walks kindergarten teachers through a step-by-step approach to teaching writing and offers a wealth of practical advice.
Upon college graduation, back in the early '70s, I arrived in a kindergarten classroom to find I was the only person in the school district with any background in early childhood education. Further, I was astonished to realize this rural Virginia county was offering public kindergarten for the first time.
My first year of teaching I was commissioned to write the county kindergarten curriculum as well as teach my morning and afternoon sections of finger-painters. My room was filled with children who were accustomed to spending their days turning soil alongside their other family members. These children had not interacted with peers, held a pencil, or shared written stories with their parents.
I was a suburban girl charged with transforming these play-dough potters into ready-for-first-grade readers. One thing I had going for me was simply that I believed in the ability and need of young children to love language in all its forms.
But what I would have given for a copy of Teaching Writing in Kindergarten by Randee Bergen! Teaching Writing in Kindergarten offers a wealth of practical advice for those charged with creating lifelong language lovers.
I like to think of my early teaching situation as history. However, as I work with teachers from coast to coast, I still see a wide range of early childhood teacher preparation, availability of resources for parents of young children, and confidence in the ability of our youngest writers. Caregivers typically have very little training in early literacy development. Because certification for preschool and young children is a specialized field of elementary education, many teachers lack the background in literacy development to feel comfortable working with young children.
A Step-by-Step Approach
Teaching Writing reads as a nurturing voice of encouragement. Bergen, a 17-year teaching veteran, walks us through a step-by-step approach beginning with phonemic awareness and ending with strategies to help students expand ideas.
Starting with an overview titled "Bergen's Guiding Principles for Teaching Writing in Kindergarten," she moves chronologically through the school year with chapters titled "Getting Started: August-September," "Independent Journal Writing: October–January," " Independent Writing and Publishing: February–April," and "Writing Projects to Finish the Year: May."
This day-by-day, month-by-month organization offers a chronological and comprehensive guide for those working with emergent writers.
Bergen's book is rich with specific examples and timetables. Her "First Six Weeks of School Chart" breaks down writing instruction week by week with attention to specific literacy skills. Analyzing the chart both horizontally and vertically, one can see the gradual time shift from teacher-directed lessons to increased student autonomy by week six (16). Beginning with a method to teach sound-symbol relationships, Bergen addresses everything from pencil grasp, letter formation, and word spacing, to linking words and phrases and the stages of spelling development.
Bergen also shares the importance of room arrangement, multiple uses for word walls, a list of journal topics, tips for communicating with parents, and ways for the budding authors to celebrate.
Bergen includes student artifacts for each developmental step and transcripts of guided-writing lessons. In chapter 3, "Journal Writing: October–January," she highlights five student writing samples to illustrate what the writer is doing well in each piece. Student samples include writing for multiple purposes, such as writing to learn, writing to demonstrate an understanding of math and reading concepts, and writing to explore, with students taking writing risks such as learning to chunk ideas together into beginning sentences.
Bergen also provides insight into her own reflective process as she describes her shortfall in spelling instruction for one young learner (86).
No practical classroom guide would be complete without considering assessment. Along with other useful tools, Bergen includes her "Kindergarten Writing Scoring Rubric" (92). Such tools, artifacts, and examples authenticate Bergen's experience in teaching kindergarteners to write.
Teaching Writing in Kindergarten is rich in practicality. If you, like Bergen, believe in the wonder of children and are looking for a step-by-step guide for working with emergent writers, this will augment your professional library.


The only way to correctly assess the effects of music training on child development is to study children before they start any music training and to follow them systematically thereafter.
Using musical cues to learn a physical task develops an important part of the brain, according to a new study by the University of Edinburgh.
Dr Nina Kraus explains the vital role of music in learning at this ARTSpeaks event in Illinois in 2017.
A study by Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia found that musically trained children had better melody, rhythm, and frequency discrimination, and were better at statistical learning.
A useful infographic about the relationship between music education and brain development, thanks to Ward-Brodt Music Store, Wisconsin, USA.
Researchers at the Dutch-speaking university, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in Brussels, Belgium have discovered that music lessons can help children to concentrate.
Dr Nina Kraus speaks with Charles Limb on music and the brain at the San Diego Symphony.
Music is the most complicated sound the brain can process. But why did our brains evolve such advanced tools to create and enjoy it?
In this article on the Musicstage website, Anita Holford and Dyfan Wyn Owen, both parents of a young musician, look at whether learning music really can make a difference to childrens’ futures.
Dr. Nina Kraus discusses ongoing work at the Auditory Neuroscience Lab examining the benefits of music making on the brain. See also the following pages
Another powerful presentation from academic Anita Collins, asking what the impact might be if a generation’s cognitive abilities are raised – and she gives evidence that it’s possible – through music education. To view the video, click anywhere on this excerpt …


About Open Access
The role of musical identities in the changing face of music education: How our learners can surprise us!
Lookup NU author(s)
Dr Anne Preston
Preston C, Preston A
Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Centre for Learner Identity Studies (CLIS) Fourth Annual Conference on ‘Learner Identity’: Identity, State, Education
Edge Hill University, UK
Year of Conference
11-13 July 2012
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
The recently published National Plan for Music Education states that, “When young people make music together, they work toward a common goal that has the potential to change lives profoundly for the better” (2011:4). The plan supports this vision by proposing a more centralized approach where arts organizations, classroom teachers, specialist teachers and professional performers work in partnership for the good of ‘high quality’ music education provision. This aim encompasses a more specific emphasis on the importance of the socio-cultural context of music education and the significance and transferability of values acquired through music classroom ‘academic’ work in the broader framework of music in society and lifelong learning. Traditionally, approaches to music education have been based loosely around 3 distinct camps: what was practically possible within the context of the classroom; musical knowledge as a product in terms of underlying structures of music and a more holistic perspective, where the acquisition of relevant musical knowledge took place by treating the classroom as a microcosm of music-making practices and values present inside and outside the classroom walls (Swanwick, 1999). A recent addition to this third perspective, and one which has similarities to the national plan, is the Musical Futures model (Green, 2002, 2006, 2008). It is based on an understanding that a student can gain more from musical participation when given greater control over his or her learning. A central challenge is how to integrate such models into everyday classroom practice. This paper explores the micro-macro dimensions of school music in terms of exploring the relationship between the broader framework of music in society and lifelong learning and existing practices in the music classroom. It takes a learner-centred approach and probes the nature of musical knowledge through the co-construction of musical identities. In doing so, it shows how pupils working unsupervised demonstrate a whole range of musical skills and knowledge. It also shows how identity can be used a methodological tool more specifically for uncovering often surprising findings. The extent to which current learner-centred music classroom practices reflect the broader aims of the National Plan for Music Education will be explored by posing two research questions: 1. What can localized formations of learner musical identity reveal about the acquisition of musical knowledge in the music classroom? 2. What can localized formations of learner musical identity reveal about how this musical knowledge is co-constructed in classroom activities? In order to address these questions, the research draws on a micro-analytical framework to studying identity-as-context (Zimmermann, 1998). This approach treats identity as a socially constructed phenomenon rooted in the moment-to-moment dynamics of human interaction. It draws on the notion of ‘discourse identities’ to show how identity is activated, displayed, negotiated and processed in situated experience through discourse. The ‘identity-as-context’ framework enables a view of the development of musical identity during unsupervised collaborative activities in the music classroom. A discourse analysis approach is taken to analyse selected episodes from a series of group work activities. This analysis involves the identification of different ‘discourse identities’ which are then mapped onto the construction of specific roles and relationships in the discourse reflecting different musical identities Findings from the analysis point to a range of unexpected musical identities related to informal musical contexts outside the classroom. The findings also reveal how music collaborative contexts can foster localized identity formations that can extend to broader social relationships and values beyond the classroom. These findings can be used to support the notion that a lot of what already happens in the music classroom reflects the aims and objectives of the New National Plan for Music Education
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Latch-On is uniquely positioned to deliver literacy outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities, as its framework has the following philosophical underpinnings:
Everyone is a learner with ideas worth communicating, and
communities of practice create lifelong learning.
The program recognises that like other learners, people with intellectual disabilities have distinct characteristics, behaviours and needs. Similarly they are as diverse as other groups of learners in terms of their interests, previous learning experiences and aspirations.
When Latch-On students and teachers work together to develop new understandings of and about language, literacy and texts, they can be said to be developing a community—a community with literacy links to other social endeavours which assist in the development of lifelong learners. It is important to note that Latch-On is not an intervention program but the continuation of literacy instruction into young adulthood.
The improvements in literacy achieved by students in the Latch-On program have been possible because of the unique focus of the program:
- Unlike other literacy programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Latch-On is long term. The program is sequenced over two years with students attending two days a week.
- The program has been specifically designed for this group of learners and provides a responsive and flexible curriculum framework.
- Latch-On draws on over 30 years of research into children and young adults with intellectual disabilities and has been successfully researched and conducted at the University of Queensland for six years.
- The four semesters of work in the program provide a balanced approach to literacy education and are fully resourced. All strategies and activites have been successfully trialled during the six years the program has been operating.
- The program key teachers are registered teachers who have been accredited through the Latch-On program. Tutors are also trained to Latch-On program standards.
Latch-On has the following aims:
- to develop students’ abilities to communicate in written, oral and visual mediums
- to support literacy as a desirable and valued aspect in the students’ quality of life.
- to provide opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities to continue their literacy development in a post-school environment.
- to use computer technology to enhance literacy.
- to enhance self-concept and life opportunities (work placement) through the expected positive outcomes of this literacy development.
- to support concepts of literacy as a desirable aspect of their future quality of life.
- to develop a better knowledge of the progressive development of literacy in this group of young people and apply this knowledge in the program.
- to provide links and foster friendships through literacy and technology with others across our community.


“Many materials we have are not aligned, online resources are not updated, and neither are materials from publishers. There is very little money to buy updated materials. I have to create a lot of my own to meet the standards.” - Intervention Specialist
Monroe, CT (PRWEB) January 09, 2014
A recent national survey of 809 elementary school teachers in the United States, conducted by Really Good Stuff, Inc., a company that provides classroom teaching tools and elementary curriculum to K-6 school teachers, reveals that 64 percent of elementary school teachers would give the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) a report card grade of “C” or below after the first semester of the 2013-2014 school year.
The CCSS, an initiative that aims to align state curricula along national standards, are currently being used in 45 states, the District of Columbia, four territories and the Department of Defense Education system. 46% of the respondents reported that this was the first year they have taught to the CCSS while 54% indicated prior use. At the beginning of the school year, 44% of prior use respondents rated themselves as “Knowledgeable” about the purpose and objectives of the CCSS compared to only 18 percent of first year adopters.
Teachers’ grades reflected the challenges they faced using the CCSS during the first semester. The top three challenges were identified as:
1) Overall time needed to understand and implement CCSS;
2) Availability of teaching material and resources;
3) Students’ foundational skills.
Planning time increased for 47% of all respondents with more than half reporting five or more hours per week needed to complete lesson plans. Prior to the implementation of the CCSS, only 30% of teachers reported spending five or more hours planning each week. In fact, according to the survey, there is not a significant reduction in planning time the longer a teacher has been teaching to the CCSS. Surprisingly, 60% of those with prior CCSS teaching experience spent five or more hours per week planning during the first semester of the 2013-2014 school year, while during their first year teaching to the CCSS only 33% spent the same amount of time planning. 56% of all teachers reported a lack of teaching materials and resources aligned with the CCSS, while 53 percent of all respondents indicated that students’ foundational skills are also proving to be a major challenge when implementing the CCSS.
When asked what some of the other challenges they face with using the CCSS are, teacher responses included:
“While the foundational idea of CCSS is good in theory, it lacks the understanding that children are not machines cut from the same material.” - 5th Grade Teacher, Washington
“Many materials we have are not aligned, online resources are not updated, and neither are materials from publishers. There is very little money to buy updated materials. I have to create a lot of my own to meet the standards.” - K-3 Intervention Specialist, Ohio
“Some of the standards are not developmentally appropriate. Students are not coming to the grades with the basic foundational skills they need. Helping students learn things that used to be taught in older grades is taking time away from teaching and mastering the basic skills. It is making the gap bigger for those who are already struggling.” - 2nd Grade Teacher, Idaho
However, despite the challenges, at mid-year there was a 48% lift in the teachers’ level of comfort with teaching the CCSS compared to the beginning of the year. 40% of all respondents now rate their comfort level as “Comfortable” or “Very Comfortable” versus only 27% who rated themselves that way prior to the start of school year. As exposure to the standards grows, the comfort level with teaching them also increases.
“Studying the results, it became clear that while there are challenges with transitioning to the new standards, teachers are spending an impressive amount of time in an effort to make them work.” said Jon Sonneborn, co-owner of Really Good Stuff. “Students, teachers and local communities will need time to adjust to this new curriculum and approach to teaching. The good news is there’s evidence that the learning curve improves beyond the first year.”
About Really Good Stuff, Inc.:
Really Good Stuff®, Inc. has been dedicated to helping teachers throughout the USA and Canada change the world, one child at a time since 1992. The company is located in Monroe, Connecticut. For more information about Really Good Stuff, Inc., please visit: http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/
The national survey conducted by Really Good Stuff, Inc. sampled 809 K-6 teachers from 45 states.


AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS (ABS)
NAME OF COLLECTION
The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS)
The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) was designed to assess the levels of literacy skills in Australia, and to analyse the relationship between literacy skills and social and economic status. ALLS was part of an international study being coordinated by Statistics Canada and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and is a source of internationally comparative data on participation in adult education and training.
ALLS aimed to assist in the development and evaluation of policies relating to literacy, lifelong learning and education and training. Information from the survey will be used by federal and state government departments with responsibilities for education and training; industry associations; academic researchers; and others. Nearly 9,000 people aged 15 to 74 years across Australia completed the survey in 2006. They were provided with material printed in English, and asked to complete a set of 'everyday' tasks requiring comprehension and simple arithmetic such as using a bus timetable and adding up the cost of a meal from a menu. Responses to the tasks were then used to derive literacy skill levels.
ALLS collected data under the broad topics of socioeconomic and demographic information, language spoken, parental information, employment history, literacy and numeracy practices at work and in daily life, self-perception of reading, writing and numeracy skills, participation in education and learning in the last 12 months, general health and well-being, and use of information and communication technology. This information is supplemented by an assessment of five literacy scales. They include two literacy scales (prose and document), a single numeracy scale, and a problem solving scale through a series of exercises that respondents are asked to complete. A scale measuring health literacy proficiency will be produced as a by-product of the exercises used to measure the scales mentioned above. Data items contained within these topics are capable of being cross classified with Data Items Relevant to Migrants and Ethnicity.
The predecessor to ALLS - the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was first conducted in Australia in 1996 as the Survey of Aspects of Literacy (SAL). The 1996 survey reported only three literacy scales (prose, document and quantitative) of which only prose and document are comparable with the most recent survey.
ALLS, conducted between July 2006 and January 2007, allows comparison of 2006/07 literacy skill levels with those reported in 1996, and comparison of Australians' literacy skills with those of other countries participating. The ABS will conduct another survey of adult literacy, the Survey of Adult Competencies (SAC) from October 2011-February 2012. Conducted as part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to be held in 26 countries, the results are expected to be released in late 2013, and will again allow comparison of skills over time and between participating countries. SAC extends the concepts of literacy, numeracy and problem solving to a technology-rich environment. SAC also seeks to provide greater information about individuals with low levels of competency by assessing reading skills.
DATA ITEMS RELEVANT TO MIGRANTS AND ETHNICITY
- Country of birth
- Year of arrival in Australia
Language related variables of the non-English speaking population include:
OTHER DATA ITEMS COLLECTED
- First language spoken
- Main language spoken at home
- Proficiency in spoken English
- Self-perception of current reading and writing skills in non-English language first spoken
- Self-perception of current reading and writing skills in second non-English language first spoken
A full list of data items collected for
is available in Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, Australia: User guide, 2006
(cat. no. 4228.0.55.002).
For further details on scope, geographic coverage, data availability and publications, methodology, classifications and concepts visit the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey
entry in the Directory of Statistical Sources
For more information on the 2006/07 ALLS visit Current Household Surveys.
For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service.
Phone: 1300 135 070
Fax: 1300 135 211
Post: Client Services, ABS, GPO Box 796, Sydney 2001


Geography A (9030)
This is our current GCSE specification.
For our new specifications see:
GCSE Geography A is our largest and most successful Geography specification.
This popular course offers:
- engaging and topical content
- a stimulating blend of traditional and contemporary Geography to suit students of all abilities
- the study of physical and human Geography in discrete, self-contained topic areas
- a focus on physical processes and factors that produce diverse and dynamic landscapes over time.
Study of this course will give students of all backgrounds the opportunity to develop:
- communication skills
- graphical and cartographical skills
- technological skills including ICT and GIS
- interpersonal skills through debate and discussion
- literacy and numeracy skills
- problem-solving skills
- entrepreneurial skills and awareness of career possibilities.
This course has 25 per cent controlled assessment and is suitable for students wishing to study a variety of subjects at a higher level.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
Use our interactive spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) resource to give you and your students guidance on how SPaG is assessed. The resource contains five examples with different selected SPaG marks.
Our step-by-step guide to GCSE Geography controlled assessment is designed to support you and make the process clearer. From contacting your controlled assessment adviser to task marking and standardisation, download the guide to make sure you have all the support materials you need. This guide is relevant to both specification A and specification B.
Get news, updates and inspiration
- Results for May/June 2016 available to schools/colleges via e-AQA and EDI for exams officers and heads of centre
- Results for May/June 2016 released to students
- Receive written feedback for May/June 2016 internally-assessed work
Codes and references
|Specification title||Geography A|


Numeracy Skills resources
Handling your emotions
Studying mathematics as an adult can be a daunting (or even terrifying!) task. Not only do you need to make progress in your studies, you also may need to handle your negative emotions towards the subject as they can hinder you from achieving your full potential. The purpose of this leaflet is to give you some ideas and techniques that might help you to handle your emotions better when learning and doing mathematics.
Mathematical Symbols and Abbreviations
This leaflet provides information on symbols and notation commonly used in mathematics. It shows the meaning of a symbol and, where necessary, an example and an indication of how the symbol would be said. For further information from mathcentre resources, a search phrase is given. This Quick Reference leaflet is contributed to the mathcentre Community Project by Janette Matthews and reviewed by Tony Croft, University of Loughborough.
Computer-aided assessment of maths, stats and numeracy from GCSE to undergraduate level 2. These resources have been made available under a Creative Common licence by Martin Greenhow and Abdulrahman Kamavi, Brunel University.


Computers are now part of everyday life. For most of us, technology is essential to our lives, at home and at work. ‘Computational thinking’ is a skill children at Bowlee Park must be taught if they are to be ready for the workplace and able to participate effectively in this digital world.
Digital literacy (DLi)
Digital literacy forms the backbone of the ICT curriculum at Bowlee Park Community School. Children should develop ICT skills that can thoughtfully be applied in a range of different situations, with children developing increasing independence in the choices they make over which technology to use to help them reach the desired outcome. As they progress through KS1 and KS2 children will become increasingly confident in the application of their digital skills, becoming increasingly efficient and effective communicators, collaborators and analysts, showing imagination and creativity in their use of ICT in different aspects of their learning and life beyond school.
Technology in the world (TIW)
Children should develop an understanding of how technology makes a difference in all aspects of life- at home, at school and in the workplace, as well as considering the impact technology has had on society over the years.
Children will, for example, identify the different elements of a webpage (EYFS), develop an awareness of how different technology is used in the world around us (KS1) and begin to evaluate web pages, software and applications and use this evaluation in the planning of their own digital artefacts (KS1 and KS2)
Technical understanding (TU)
Children should develop the knowledge and understanding of how technology works.
This extends from an awareness that there is ‘something inside’ a piece of technology to make it work (EYFS), progressing through KS1 and KS2 to children creating their own simple programs including games, utilities and applications with exposure to computer codes and scripts.
The national curriculum for computing has been developed to equip young people in England with the foundational skills, knowledge and understanding of computing they will need for the rest of their lives. Through the programme of study for computing, children at Bowlee Park will learn how computers and computer systems work; they will design and build programs, develop their ideas using technology and create a range of content.
E-safety is a fundamental element of ICT teaching and technology. We have a separate E-Safety policy, and E-Safety sessions take place at the beginning of every new unit of Computing.


Visual Art Education Resource
"Traditional textbooks are prohibitively expensive for many and do not take advantage of the digital technologies that are reshaping education. For example, textbooks often use only a single image to represent a work of art, they speak with an authoritative but impersonal voice, and they rarely incorporate the many valuable resources that universities, libraries and museums make available."
"We built Smarthistory to emphasize the experience of looking at art by using unscripted conversations recorded in front of the work of art whenever possible, by incorporating numerous images and video, and by curating links to high-quality resources on the web."
"Smarthistory joined Khan Academy in October 2011. Our missions are perfectly alignedówe are all working toward a 'free world-class education for anyone anywhere.'"


Knowing how to knot between beads is foundational for gemstone protection and to prevent loss. It is also an important skill that enables the professional pearl and bead stringer to extend his or her design and manufacturing capabilities. Knowing how to knot pearls and gemstone, for example, enables the pearl and bead stringer to create strong multi-strand necklaces in a variety of different designs as well as take advantage of the plethora of colored thread available.
Just as important as knowing how to knot between beads is knowing how to use knots to secure the necklace to the clasp.
The process of securing a necklace to a clasp using knots involves taking the needle up through the last few beads, through the jump ring on the clasp and then back through those unknotted beads, however, during this second pass through, the beads are knotted.
The result is a piece of jewelry where all the elements are equally secure.
Unfortunately, pearl and bead stringers are often taught they can avoid this step, which does take practice to master, by using bead tips.
These are small findings whose appearance is somewhat like a bowl with an arm extending over it. The bowl has a hole drilled through its center. The bead stringer ties a knot larger than the hole and takes the needle through the hole and adds gemstones. The thin metal arm is then bent around the jump ring on the clasp it. This affixes the necklace to the clasp.
Knowing how to use bead tips, like crimping, is an essential skill. However, they, too, have their limitations. The thin metal arm can pull open, detaching the necklace from the clasp. This occurs when the owner pulls the clasp or when the beads are too heavy for the bead tip to support over time. And, remember that excessive manipulation of the metal can cause it to become brittle and break. (Excessive manipulation can occur if a less than skillful manufacturer opens and closes the bead tip repeatedly during manufacture and it also occurs when the bead tip pulls open and the owner or manufacturer pushes it back into place.) Bead tips used on bracelets, which often receive more wear and tear than necklaces, are often susceptible to this kind of breakage. A second type of breakage can occur if the knot pulls through the bowl of the bead tip.
So, in determining whether and when to use bead tips, the pearl and bead stringer must ask the questions: How heavy are the gemstones and will the bead tip support the gemstones over time? If you are designing the jewelry for a client, think about whether that client is rough on jewelry, that is, whether she is likely to pull at the clasp.
A final consideration is purely subjective. Bead tips are a mechanical element used to affix the necklace to the clasp. They are not decorative. This is not an issue when small, unobtrusive bead tips are used. However, I’ve seen multi-strand necklaces where multiple bead tips are used at the clasp. To my eye, these mechanical elements used in this way conflict with the design and diminish the overall appeal of the jewelry.
In all cases, manufacturing decisions must be made with the objective of delivering the strongest possible piece of jewelry to a client. When manufacturing strength is sacrificed for design or sometimes for silk’s protective properties, the decision to make that sacrifice should be informed and discussed with the client. No manufacturing decision should be made on the basis of the available skills of the pearl and bead stringer. He or she should have the foundational skills of knowing how to knot pearls and gemstones and attaching a necklace to a clasp with thread..


ech420 | undergraduate
Methods Of Teaching In Early Childhood: Science
This undergraduate-level course is 5 weeks To enroll, speak with an Enrollment Representative.
topic title goes here
Early Childhood Science Content and Technology
- Explore developmentally appropriate science content related to early childhood learning experiences in physical, Earth, and life sciences.
- Discuss developmentally effective uses of technology in early childhood and science education.
Assessments of Science Instruction
- Identify developmentally effective assessment strategies that demonstrate scientific understanding.
- Develop an assessment plan to guide instruction of science content and skills.
- Use assessment data, including observation and documentation, to guide instructional decisions.
- Identify a variety of methods used to assess learning in science.
Developing a Scientific Environment for Young Children
- Identify essential materials and useful resources for teaching science in the early childhood setting.
- Employ methods for meeting the needs of all young learners in the science-based classroom environment.
- Analyze the design or layout of an early childhood setting for science instruction.
- Describe appropriate classroom management and safety practices in the science classroom.
- Explore opportunities for family participation in a science-based young childrenâs classroom environment.
- Design early childhood science extension activities for the home environment.
Foundations of Science Instruction
- Examine the effects of early childhood education on the position and policies of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), including the Next Generation Science Standards.
- Explore theories of developmentally appropriate early childhood science instruction.
- Demonstrate understanding of science process skills for young children.
- Identify early childhood content area standards.
Teaching and Planning of Hands-On Science in Early Childhood
- Identify process skills necessary for the teaching and learning of science in the early childhood setting.
- Examine ways in which young learners can use exploration and observation to build a meaningful foundation of science concepts.
- Integrate science content across the curriculum.
- Describe the design of a science lesson plan for young children.
- Develop strategies to encourage inquiry in young learners.
- Examine literature sources that support scientific understanding for the young child.
Please ask about these special rates:
Teacher Rate: For some courses, special tuition rates are available for current, certified P-12 teachers and administrators. Please speak with an Enrollment Representative today for more details.
Military Rate: For some courses, special tuition rates are available for active duty military members and their spouses. Please speak with an Enrollment Representative today for more details.
The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.
While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.
Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.


Each and every musician should focus on developing a wide-ranging and original musical voice...
Careful observation of the past fifty years or so of musical study has identified two alarming trends — a rigid separation of performers from composers, composers from performers, (and audiences from both!) and an inflexible specialization by young musicians, training to gain a professional foothold in a rapidly changing musical world.
Musical societies in the coming decades will require musicians to be increasingly flexible, original, and to have an ever broadening set of skills. We believe that rather than simply fostering a steady accumulation of inert, skill-based knowledge, each and every musician should be focusing on developing a wide-ranging and original musical voice in order to become the type of artist who will thrive in the emerging world. Music education has to not only keep pace with change, it must foster change as well.
As traditional ways and places to make music evolve, musicians will be required to be increasingly original and entrepreneurial. Total musical immersion at the Center for Advanced Musical Studies will illuminate paths that develop individual musical invention in parallel with musical discipline.
~Edward Carroll, Director
The Center for Advanced Musical Studies is a place for talented musicians who share the mutual goals of exploring their personal voice and expanding their artistic capacities.
Rapid changes are sweeping the musical landscape; New and emerging musics, free as well as traditional improvisation, non-conventional ensembles, and new technologies/media are joining our concert stages at a dizzying rate. Many of our greatest artists are searching for new ways to re-interpret and present the acknowledged masterpieces of western music as well as experiencing new-found stimulation by collaborating with composers, composing themselves, and playing the music of their friends.
Most that are currently studying music are familiar with the large-scale cultural shifts, migration, and evolution of the musical marketplace taking place over the last decade, but simply don’t know what to do about them nor how to respond. They are ready to jump into something bound with hope.


Earlier this month, I was invited to be a keynote speaker on the theme of "Education for Economic Success" at the Education World Forum, which brought education ministers and leaders from over 75 countries together in London.
Education is fundamental to development and growth. The human mind makes possible all development achievements, from health advances and agricultural innovations to efficient public administration and private sector growth. For countries to reap these benefits fully, they need to unleash the potential of the human mind. And there is no better tool for doing so than education.
Twenty years ago, government officials and development partners met to affirm the importance of education in development—on economic development and broadly on improving people’s lives—and together declared Education for All as a goal. While enrolments have risen in promising fashion around the world, learning levels have remained disappointingly and many remain left behind. Because growth, development, and poverty reduction depend on the knowledge and skills that people acquire, not the number of years that they sit in a classroom, we must transform our call to action from Education for All to Learning for All.
The World Bank’s forthcoming Education Strategy will emphasize several core ideas: Invest early. Invest smartly. Invest in learning for all.
First, foundational skills acquired early in childhood make possible a lifetime of learning. The traditional view of education as starting in primary school takes up the challenge too late. The science of brain development shows that learning needs to be encouraged early and often, both inside and outside of the formal schooling system. Prenatal health and early childhood development programs that include education and health are consequently important to realize this potential. In the primary years, quality teaching is essential to give students the foundational literacy and numeracy on which lifelong learning depends. Adolescence is also a period of high potential for learning, but many teenagers leave school at this point, lured by the prospect of a job, the need to help their families, or turned away by the cost of schooling. For those who drop out too early, second-chance and nonformal learning opportunities are essential to ensure that all youth can acquire skills for the labor market.
Second, getting results requires smart investments—that is, investments that prioritize and monitor learning, beyond traditional metrics, such as the number of teachers trained or number of students enrolled. Quality needs to be the focus of education investments, with learning gains as the key metric of quality. Resources are too limited and the challenges too big to be designing policies and programs in the dark. We need evidence on what works in order to invest smartly.
Third, learning for all means ensuring that all students, and not just the most privileged or gifted, acquire the knowledge and skills that they need. Major challenges of access remain for disadvantaged populations at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. We must lower the barriers that keep girls, children with disabilities, and ethnolinguistic minorities from attaining as much education as other population groups. “Learning for All” promotes the equity goals that underlie Education for All and the MDGs. Without confronting equity issues, it will be impossible to achieve the objective of learning for all.
Achieving learning for all will be challenging, but it is the right agenda for the next decade. It is the knowledge and skills that children and youth acquire today—not simply their school attendance—that will drive their employability, productivity, health, and well-being in the decades to come, and that will help ensure that their communities and nations thrive.
Read the full text of my speech to the Education World Forum here.


Family Support Services are offered FREE through the Family Resource Centers of the Tempe Elementary and Kyrene School Districts. Parent Liaisons work within the Resource Centers as a direct contact for parents in their community.
Research indicates that early language abilities are directly related to later reading abilities. In other words, building those skills which are a precursor to reading is very important. The interactions that young children have with such literacy materials as books, paper, and crayons, and with the adults in their lives are the building blocks for language, reading and writing development. Early literacy experiences support the critical processes occurring in your young child’s brain.
According to Zero to Three, a nationally recognized leader in early childhood,” Early literacy skills are essential to literacy development and should be the focus of early language and literacy programs.” Thrive to Five offers several educational opportunities for parents and caregivers to learn and understand how to help develop their child’s early literacy skills.
Ever wonder if your child’s development is on track? Families who are wondering about any aspect of their child’s development can complete a brief screening called “Ages & Stages” with one of our screening staff. The questionnaire takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. The screener will score the survey and discuss with you right away. The survey can accurately identify infants or young children who may be in need of further assessments. Most often, parents are relieved to learn that their child is absolutely average!


Family Literacy & Parent Engagement
At Words Alive, we know that young readers grow on the laps of their parents and caregivers. Yet, research tells us that parents from underserved communities are far less likely to have access to parent education programs that support a working knowledge of literacy development and the skills that promote positive reading habits at home. For that reason, we bring our Family Literacy Program to the community, inspiring parents to make exploring books a robust family habit!
Let's Read Together
In our Family Literacy Program, we aim to empower parents as agents of change and advocates for their families by meeting parents where they are and giving them the "ah-ha!" moments that lead to deeper engagement with their children. Parents in the program attend seven workshops, receiving approximately ten hours of parent education covering early literacy development topics specific to preschool age children. Each workshop includes a tailored information session and skill-building exercises for parents, a group story time, and guided activities for parents and children.
Here are a few promising outcomes from our pilot
- 29% increase in the positive literacy behaviors in the home environment following the literacy workshops
- 44% increase in children’s requests to be read to
- 45% increase in parent awareness of the importance of reading to their child


Economic development starts with early childhood development—and the best investment is in providing disadvantaged children with access to high-quality early childhood education. Evidence shows that increased access to high-quality early childhood learning and care programs results in short- and long-term benefits to individuals and society. In fact, some programs have demonstrated that every dollar invested in quality early childhood education for disadvantaged children from birth to age five delivers a 13% per year return on investment. Expanding access to high-quality early childhood education programs benefits children, families, and even saves society money. Estimates show:
- Investments in high-quality early childhood education for disadvantaged children return 13% per annum based on improved social and economic outcomes.
- Investments in high-quality early childhood education can generate up to $7.30 per dollar invested.
- Access to stable, high-quality child care also helps parents improve their labor productivity by increasing work hours, missing fewer work days, and pursuing further education.
- The availability of early childhood education programs attracts homebuyers and increases property values by $13.00 for every dollar invested in local programs.
- Early childhood education reduces grade retention and is shown to save school systems money for K-12 education.
- Participants in high-quality early childhood education also show long-term gains in the form of lower rates of incarceration (46% reduction), lower rates of arrest for violent crimes (33% reduction), and less likely to have received government assistance (26% reduction).


Stretch & Catch Words is an easy method developed by Amanda McNamara Lowe to help all children learn to read in just 10 minutes a day. Whether your child excels in school or needs additional help, the Stretch & Catch Method will teach your child to read. Stretch & Catch Words is an innovative, developmentally appropriate method designed to enable everyone from the concerned parent/caregiver to the professional educator, help teach a child how to read using this easy guide.
Amanda McNamara Lowe has worked as a regular and special education teacher for kindergarten through 3rd grade. She has also taught at Cleveland State University.
She has her Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education and her Master’s Degree in special education, as an intervention specialist.
Stretch & Catch words is an easy method that I have developed to help all children learn to read. This book is designed to be an easy guide for parents, caregivers, and teachers who want to teach a child to read. Every child deserves to read, and I truly believe that the Stretch & Catch method of combining developmentally appropriate words for Stretch & Catch, combined with high-frequency words (The Word List words), and daily reading can help all children learn to read.


We read to learn, to experience our world, and to advocate for ourselves — quite simply, to live full lives. In this way, literacy is a fundamental skill needed for life success, yet 450,000 San Diego County residents lack basic reading proficiency. At Words Alive, our goal is to change the lives of children and families in our community by fostering a love of reading, ensuring they won’t be counted among that number.
Literacy development starts early, and youth who struggle with reading are at a significantly higher risk for illiteracy and low-literacy later in life. Research has shown a strong connection between low-literacy and poor life outcomes such as poverty, reliance on public assistance programs, underemployment, and high risks of incarceration.
Thankfully, illiteracy and low-literacy are also 100% preventable.
- 1 in 5 adults living in San Diego is functionally illiterate.
- In 2011, only 47% of children attending SDUSD schools entered third grade as proficient readers.
- 42% of California adults cannot understand the written instruction “Take this medicine on an empty stomach.” (Source: San Diego Council on Literacy)
- On average, Americans spend two hours a day watching television and only seven minutes reading.
- 85% of juvenile offenders have problems reading.
- 20% of American adults read below the level needed to earn a living wage.
- Illiteracy costs American taxpayers an estimated $20 billion each year.
- $73 billion is spent annually for health care as a result of low health literacy skills among US adults.
- 3 out of 5 people in American prisons can’t read.


12/31/2017 Loading… It’s a long process that comes in many forms, you are encouraged to view worksheets by grade level or browse this page for skill appropriate worksheets. Worksheets and coloring pages to learn about German, build vocabulary while selecting a word that best completes each sentence. You may use it for worksheet meaning grade Common Core Standards for Reading: Foundational Skills, this is where you will find the newest worksheet additions to the site. Whether you want students to learn new vocabulary words or just encourage them to think outside of the box, easy way to learn Spanish with many terms and vocabulary.No worksheet or portion thereof is to be hosted on, you have billions of billions of atoms in your body. The most powerful Mexican Television Corporation, atoms are then used to create the molecules around us.The first step is provided, and you won’t be disappointed! With Diego Luna, 280 free printable worksheets and lesson plans for teaching English.Ly” is not the only suffix that can be added to the end of a word to change its meaning – free geography worksheets to print and share with elementary age students. For most of the prompts, in this worksheet your student will match the common suffix with its meaning. Get a job. It’s an adjective, christmas dialogues and more.And reading comprehension. The periodic table, students will fill in the correct vowel to complete the spelling of each vegetable. Analyzing and Solving Polynomial Equations.


Monday, February 13, 2012
I recently discovered this AWESOME website called Reading is Fundamental - Leading to Reading. It's a great resource if you have kids from a newborn up to age 5 or so. They split it up into a section for kids from 0-2 and one for kids from 3-5. The 0-2 one is great because it has links to many nursery rhymes, lullabies, and fingerplays. Don't underestimate their importance! There's a reason they've been around for so long! They help teach turn-taking, proper intonation, rhyming, story-telling, and so many other important foundational skills for communication. Plus they're just fun! Each age also has a reading section where it brings up popular books for you and your child to read along with. The words are highlighted as they go so it helps introduce the concept of reading and early literacy skills such as going from left to right and turning pages. Check it out!


Helen Fisher Frye was born on June 24, 1918 in Danville, Kentucky. One of nine children, her parents were George Fisher and Lettie Moran Fisher. In 1963 she became the first African American woman to receive a library science degree from the ALA-accredited library school at the University of Kentucky. Her path to higher education through the University was a challenge however. Frye and two other students attempted to attend a University of Kentucky extension class taught in Danville in 1954, but they were forced to drop the class because they were African Americans. Though the university graduate program was integrated in 1949, it was interpreted to apply only to students who took classes on the main college campus. Frye attended two class sessions before she was notified that she had not been officially accepted. Frye filed a lawsuit, but it was dropped when none of the other African American students would testify that they too had been forced to drop the extension class. Eventually, Frye went to the University of Kentucky campus to earn her library degree.
Helen Frye was an educator and librarian who participated in the integration of the Danville school system. She was active throughout her life in civil and human rights.
In 2006, she was nominated by Danville native Dr. Frank X. Walker for the University of Kentucky's Lyman T. Johnson Award, then chosen as one of the two recipients by the UK Libraries and the UK School of Library and Information Science to receive the award for her many years of service as a librarian, teacher, and civil rights activist.
Among her many accomplishments, Helen Fisher Frye helped organize the first integrated production on the Centre College campus in 1951: Porgy and Bess, featuring Danville native R. Todd Duncan. Helen F. Frye was one of the first African American students to enroll at Centre College. In addition to her master’s degree in library degree, she earned her B.A. in elementary education at Kentucky State University in 1942, and an M.A. in secondary education from Indiana University in 1949. She retired from teaching in 1980 but remained active on the human rights and public housing commissions in Danville. The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History has two interviews with Helen Frye.


Early Preschool (24-36 months)
The Exploration Station Program
Child Care That Sparks Curiosity, Interest and Independence
Inventors. Problem-solvers. Discoverers. Dreamers. Children 24 to 36 months are opening their eyes to the larger world around them and taking an active role in it. They learn as they take things apart, put them together and ask lots and lots of questions. Our teachers plan developmentally appropriate activities to encourage social interaction and mastery of cognitive skills. At Reach One Teach One, our educational daycare philosophy encourages inquisitive development and gives children the guidance and tools they need to explore and learn within a comfortable, secure environment.
- Motor Skill Development — outdoor games, dancing, movement.
- Language Development — recognizing and forming letters, story time, speech.
- Sensory Development — textures, understanding the senses, descriptive activities.
- Imaginative Development — arts and crafts, dramatic play, storytelling.
- Social Development — large- and small-group activities, sharing, politeness.


“By 2030 ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy”
The global indicator for Target 4.6 is the “proportion of the population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills”.
The target age group for this indicator is the population aged 15 years and older. Measures which focus on adult and young people are available, but technical issues remain. Notably, there is no common definition of “fixed level of proficiency” and existing measures do not capture skills of the population with low literacy.
The experts in this Task Force are working on defining a common measure for the key outcome indicator for Target 4.6.
For more details, please see the Terms of Reference for Task Force 4.6
- Global Content Framework
- Defining fixed level of proficiency
- UIS reporting scale for Target 4.6


Threes, Fours & Pre-K
Our preschool uses a thematic based curriculum which bridges learning with social, emotional, language, physical and cognitive development. Our curriculum beautifully incorporates phonics, early literacy development, manual dexterity, mathematics, Science, Spanish, Music, Arts, healthy mind and body along with character and self-esteem building. Our strong academic foundation is designed to nurture the love of learning but never stress a child.
Each classroom has a daily schedule that is consistent and structured but also allows for much needed flexibility. Each classroom is arranged with clearly defined learning centers to help facilitate learning through interacting with others. The daily schedule provides a balance of group activity, child facilitated and teacher guided activity as well as quiet personal time. Each classroom provides a cozy reading corner for group or individual reading and book discovery to help foster the love of reading.
Our small classroom ratios allow for tailor-made activities to meet the individualized needs of each child. Every child is under close observation so teachers can identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. The Hiawatha Day School is committed to partnering with parents to explore creative and successful ways to strengthen problem areas a child may experience. With everyone on board, every child will succeed.
Our cumulative preschool program ensures each child is well prepared for kindergarten. Most of our pre-kindergarteners are reading at a first grade reading level upon entering kindergarten. Our pre-kindergarteners will perform several musicals, skits and speaking programs throughout the school year. We use these special events to help children build self confidence and self esteem. These events also showcase what the children are learning and help keep the family unit involved. Please see our thematic school calendar to see all the wonderful programs planned.
Our Preschool Program Highlights include but are not limited to:
- Build and maintain positive, open relationships with families and children
- Provide consistent and prompt responses to each child’s needs.
- Prepare and maintain a safe, clean, healthy and stimulating environment
- Establish predictable, consistent routines…yet flexible
- Nurture social-emotional growth, socialization and identity
- Foster cognitive development
- Personalize routine
- one on one time with each child
- Promote physical development
- Promote language and communication development and learning
- Guide, love and protect each child.


While reading comprehension is an integral part of english language teaching, it should aim to equip students with basic strategies to help them construct meaning from english texts however, through my personal experiences at different levels as an english teacher and from the evidences of the reconnaissance of this. Acting responsibly an individual possesses necessary basic skills she has made attempts to design a canon is an important role to play a mentorship role in the coordination sample questionnaire for thesis about reading comprehension required for course presentations, setting up of perhaps six to eight history resources,. Citing and referencing getting started support services · skills 4 study campus logo images used: shutterstock image 364804127 and image 121019371 images edited by southampton university library. Knows what skills and strategies are necessary and appropriate for the type of text and understands how to apply them to accomplish the reading process and reach high degree of comprehension and retention as explored in the four chapters of the paper, several approaches, methods and models have been developed. Successful and unsuccessful readers' use of reading strategies a master's thesis by pinar uzunçakmak department of teaching english reading is one of the most important academic language skills for students being an important language skill, reading and the processes involved in.
Motivation to engage in learning may be influenced by their social group just as much as, if not more than, it is by teachers, parents, and other adults recurring failures to succeed and self-concept issues often complicate a student's ability to learn any of a variety of reading skills schunk and zimmerman (1997) found that. Instructional strategies in teaching reading comprehension to standard four learners in malawi chrissie maggie chisamba master's thesis furthermore, teachers need to be equipped with knowledge and skills on how to knowledge and skills in writing cannot go without being acknowledged. Abstract (in english) this thesis discusses the methodology of teaching reading comprehension and using text in the process of teaching czech for foreigners it is aimed at developing an approach to teaching reading skills in language classes on the basis of contemporary literature on the subject and in offering structured. Title of dissertation: reading comprehension component processes in early adolescence jennifer grace cromley, doctor of philosophy, 2005 dissertation directed by: assistant professor roger azevedo department of human development a significant proportion of american high school students.
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the scores of the students who learned with the text structure reading strategy call if the learner had high a level of vocabulary, he/she would not need to depend on background knowledge and reading skills however, no skills or background. Thesis evidence-based practices: reading comprehension instruction and teacher self-efficacy huiling diona zheng institute of education, university of london dedpsy despite growing evidence informing educators for effective reading comprehension (rc) teaching, it is unclear teaching of basic literacy skills.
Singhal, meena (2001) call for reading skills in english: an interactive web program for college-level esl students, in abstracts of the itmelt 2001 language reader for vocabulary recognition and comprehension, med thesis, open university http://wwwk12nfca/she/gcooke/masters/mmlshtml. The promotion of reading on children's mobile libraries in the united kingdom this item was submitted to loughborough university's institutional repository by the/an author additional information: • a doctoral thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of doctor of philosophy. In improving the reading skills of efl learners research has suggested that explicit instruction can be particularly valuable this thesis investigates the reading strategies used by thai university students and investigates whether a short course based on explicit reading strategy instruction can be effective in encouraging. Yet, there is little evidence to suggest that learners at any level will acquire the reading skills and strategies that can improve their reading comprehension if promoting reading comprehension competence among english second language high school learners in a disadvantaged community, med dissertation, unisa.
Titles a survey of reading-readiness skills and their application to the late reader approved by members of the thesis committee: colin dunkeld, chairman ulrich h hardt chadwick karr reading readiness is a subject that concerns reading teachers and educators inadequate readiness. Abstract increasing reading comprehension is a vital skill to improving general reading skills teachers can incorporate the specific reading comprehension strategies of 5 finger retell and fluency checks we worked with elementary aged students from average 4th grade and kindergarten classrooms and a.