Under the umbrella of the Pihana Nā Mamo (Pihana) title, CRDG, in partnership with the Hawai‘i Department of Education, is implementing three projects funded through the Native Hawaiian Education program (NHEP) in the U.S. Department of Education. The current Pihana or CRDG NHEP projects leverage and build on former Pihana projects that date back to the 1990s. Collectively, they have focused on research based approaches to increasing levels of success of Native Hawaiian students in two areas: reading in grades K–6 and transitions, both from middle school to high school and from high school to college or other post-secondary options. The current projects have expanded this focus to include mathematics in grades K–3 and to fully integrate a Response to Intervention (RTI) model that provides multi-tiered academic and positive behavior supports, assessments, and interventions into their design.
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a comprehensive early-detection and prevention system that identifies struggling students and assists them before they fall behind. This system uses universal screening and high-quality instruction for all students and provides interventions targeted for struggling students. RTI has shown promise in reducing special education referrals. In 2009, specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations for its use were published in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guide. RTI integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and reduce behavior problems. Within the RTI model, the CRDG NHEP projects focus on improving academic outcomes and behavior, which are closely associated with school success.
Integral to an effective RTI model, CRDG NHEP projects have adopted an evidence-based School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) approach. In 2009, Horner et al. found that SWPBS training and technical assistance were related to the percentage of Grade 3 students meeting or exceeding state reading assessment standards. SWPBS is a framework for enhancing adoption and implementation of a continuum of evidence-based interventions to achieve academically and behaviorally important outcomes for all students. Another element of this aspect of the project was a program of strong community support that was the impetus for a series of publications to provide students and community members with authentic cultural knowledge.
CRDG NHEP projects’ reading approaches align with recommendations made by the IES WWC determined to have high levels of evidence in promoting practices that have shown promise in increasing reading comprehension among students in kindergarten through Grade 3. First implemented in 1996, CRDG NHEP projects use research-based strategies of model (“I do”), lead (“we do”), and test (“you do”), which resonate with the Hawaiian style of teaching and are reminiscent of the manner in which many learned from their kumu hula. The project has demonstrated that Hawaiian students are able to make significant gains when presented with a skills- and research-based reading approach that builds on empirically validated foundational skills in beginning reading (phonemic awareness; alphabetic principal; accuracy and fluency with connected text; vocabulary and oral language including the ability to understand and use words orally and in writing; and comprehension). The reading curriculum and strategies used by CRDG NHEP projects also emphasize the importance of mastery. Such an approach is evocative of an indigenous way of learning in which a person’s role and membership in a community or tribe were contingent upon the mastery of skill.
CRDG NHEP elementary school project sites administer the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills measures to assess the acquisition of these foundational skills in beginning reading (Five Big Ideas) from kindergarten through Grade 6. At a minimum, benchmark assessment data are gathered three times a year on every child to determine which students are responsive to the intervention provided and which students are in need of more intensive support. Based on the data, research-based interventions are employed for each level of support, from broad-based programs designed to build the skills for most or all children in the class (tier-1 support) to high-intensity, individual or small-group interventions (tier-3 support). When student progress is monitored regularly, student data are used to differentiate instruction and re-group as needed in accordance with student’s skill level.
For More Information
Hugh Dunn, Principal Investigator
- Data-Substantiated Evaluation Assertions About Pihana Nā Mamo, Summary report
- Data-Substantiated Assertions About Effects and Aspects of Pihana Nā Mamo, poster


Torn Apart: The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1941 by S. Aihoshi
Aihoshi, Susan. Torn Apart: The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1941. Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 2012. Print.
Admittedly, my long-standing interest in, and familiarity with, Japanese-Canadian history initially made leery, but I now highly recommend this book for anyone from teenagers up (not just Scholastic’s “older girls” target). It deftly handles a transformational episode in the evolution of Canada as we know it today. It manages to encompass complexity, avoids being preachy, and fairly represents a young voice who understands the seriousness of the situation but is still a kid, after all.
Torn Apart is a recent installment of Scholastic’s Dear Canada series of fictional girls’ diaries set during important historical events. My main concern with the book (and series premise) is that distinctions between primary and secondary sources in history are difficult enough to introduce to novice historians without confusing the issue with skillfully-executed, fictional diaries of fictional people. One has to dig deeply to realize this is not an actual diary from a real person (i.e. primary source). On the other hand, it does give a sense of what historians work with in primary documents - the mysterious references, the days with nothing written, the big events missed because they weren’t part of the individual’s experience - while also giving an excellent and comprehensive overview of this complicated historical situation.
The treatment of Japanese-Canadians in world war two is complicated. We may look back on it with dismay, embarrassment, and disbelief that it ever happened in our multicultural Canada but it highlights that our so-called multiculturalism is actually quite recent and, indeed, not fully complete. There may be temptations by some to treat the “evacuation” or “internment” as an anomaly or, conversely, as proof of a wholly racist culture, but Susan Aihoshi manages to capture elements of both extremes. Racism (or maybe ethnocentrism) was a common theme in political discourse in the Canada (and especially British Columbia) of the day and sticks out in surviving sources such as contemporary newspaper accounts, parliamentary debates, and speeches. At the individual level, however, many “white” or “hakujin” or non-Japanese Canadians were just as baffled by the reaction against fellow citizens who were as Canadian as they were; they were probably equally baffled by their own reactions to the hysteria and propaganda of war. Aihoshi does well to capture the individual antagonisms as well as individual friendships. Extremely importantly, she deals head-on with distinctions between actions of the Japanese at war in Asia (and as a possible threat to North America) and the reality of Japanese-Canadians far removed from that Japan.
Although serious, the book is not dark and there are many light moments. I particularly enjoyed some the references that will be obscure to many modern readers, those not from the West Coast, or those unfamiliar with this history. This is a positive feature that lends a sense of realism to the account since anything from 73 years ago will obviously have unfamiliar references. Sometimes authors go overboard in forcing such references but Aihoshi does not. Just a few examples are Maple Buds, the milkman, Pat Bay, and Revels.
I do wonder if the glossary and maps would be better placed at the beginning of the novel as many readers may not find them in the traditional location (i.e. at the end) until it’s too late. Also, the rough-cut, outer page edges may lend a feeling of diary authenticity, but do make page turning and flipping difficult.
My leeriness was also allayed by Dr. Michiko Midge Ayukawa being listed in the acknowledgements as the historical consultant. She has been an inspiration to me for many reasons, including her passion for life-long learning. She started a B.A. in History after retiring from a career as a scientist in her 60s then continued on to complete an M.A. and PhD in History, particularly Japanese-Canadian history. Sadly, in writing this review I discovered she passed away in October 2013. It is a great loss and if this book passed through her expert hands, it is worth reading!
Recommended: 4 out of 4 stars
Reviewer: David Sulz
David is a Public Services Librarian at University of Alberta and liaison librarian to Economics, Religious Studies, and Social Work. He has university studies in Library Studies, History, Elementary Education, Japanese, and Economics; he formerly taught in schools and museums. His interests include physical activity, music, home improvements, and above all, things Japanese.


Classical Chinese Dance is a unique dance heritage. Classical Chinese dance has as its foundation China’s divinely inspired culture of five thousand years. The unique art of Chinese dance that we know today, with its impressive scale and system, is the product of generations of dancers’ many years of artistic experience combined with their refining, reorganizing, and reworking of the art form.
Classical Chinese dance has its own complete set of training methods in foundational skills, a strict regimen for perfecting bearing and form, and means of training for skill sets such as jumps, turns, and flips, as well as extremely demanding aerial techniques.
It is the deeper resonances of traditional Chinese culture, however, that imbue a dancer’s movements with such rich expressive power. The dancer is thus capable of not only portraying a given figure’s disposition or mood, but even the vivid expressions unique to a certain age, whatever the land or time.


Drawing is an important part of literacy development. Observe as children draw together and you often see and hear them telling stories as they draw, adding occasional letters, and reading their drawings. When the environment is set up so children can have access to materials plus time to make choices and explore processes, it is common for children to spend a long time on their drawings or cover a whole page with writing. Maehr (1989) says that young children may consider their drawings to be actual writing. If asked to 'read' their marks, children can give a clear message or story. Older children may recognize that drawing is an illustrative form of communication, but still continue to use it as writing. Let's look at some more similarities:
The following are some activity ideas that help children make the drawing/literacy connection:
Have Clipboard-Will Travel:
Small clipboards can be made for each child, using an 8" x 11" piece of heavy cardboard as a base. Secure a clip to the cardboard to hold several pieces of blank paper. If interesting artifacts, such as a collection of leaves, pine cones, or pebbles are on display in the science area, encourage children to take their clipboards with some drawing/writing tools over to make study drawings. Children can also take their clipboards on walks or on field trips to make field drawings and words of what they hear and see. Children can draw pictures and/or write down sounds or sights they encounter. After the walk or field trip, children can share their information with adults and peers.
Create a Book:
Children's experiences at home, in class, or on field trips add to their learning. Talking, drawing, and writing about the experiences fosters emergent literacy development. After a field trip or other shared learning experience, tell the children that you are going to help them make a book about it. Offer several sheets of paper and invite children to draw pictures of their experiences. Ask children open-ended questions, such as "Tell me about this part of our trip to the train station. What was happening in this picture." Listen as children describe each picture and, on a separate sheet of paper, write down the words exactly as the child says them. These pages can go into the book next to the appropriate picture. Ask each child to help you put the pictures and words in the right order, according to what happened first, next, and last during the trip. Children can create a cover from poster board or colorful construction paper. Ask children to draw on and title their cover then write their name. Bind all pages together inside the cover, then place it in the reading area so the child can share it with the other children. Children can also make a group experience book, each child drawing a different part of the experience. At one of the Expressive Arts Outreach sites children became authors of a group classroom book (Potter & Schoon). Each child had a page with his or her photograph, name, self portrait drawing, and emergent writing. Children had great fun reading their book to one another.
Dual Platform CD Software Alternatives:
The Amazing Writing Machine (Broderbund) lets a child create a journal or book on the computer and then print in out. In this program children can both draw, paint, use stamps, and write on each page.
Kid Pix Studio (Broderbund) is a children's drawing and painting program. Children can also stamp letters or use the type option to write. The drawings can be saved and placed in a slide show or printed out to create a book.
Disney's Magic Artist (Disney) and IBM's Crayola Make a Masterpiece (IBM Inc.) both have many drawing and painting options. Children can choose to draw or write, collect their work in a portfolio, show a slide show, and print out to create a book.
HyperStudio (Knowledge Adventure) is another way children can create a book about their learning experiences in the home, in the classroom and on field trips.
The Expressive Arts Outreach Project replication site staff have tried some of these ideas in their early childhood classrooms, using adaptive grips on marking tools when needed. They are finding important connections between drawing and literacy development. I hope you will too.
Chard, S. (August 9, 1999). Engaging children in drawing. Workshop held at Wild Life Prairie Park, IL: Best Practices, Inc.
Maehr, J. (1989). Right! Young children can write! Extensions: Newsletter of the High/Scope Curriculum, 4, 3, 1-4.
Potter, J., & Schoon, S. (1998). Classroom activities. ArtExpress: All around the sites, 3, 4, 1.


Use what you have to make a letter sounds game for your kids!
Super Simple Letter Sounds Matching - No Time For Flash Cards
change it to the end of the alphabet award. JUNGLE THEME OPEN HOUSE TREAT CERTIFICATE (ZEBRA CAKES) - TeachersPayTeache...
Jungle Theme Open House Treat Certificate (Zebra Cakes)
A to Z Alphabet art books
Kidscount1234.com - Shari Sloane - Educational Consultant
M is for Monster - letter recognition activity and fine motor fun. Great activity for a busy bag....especially if your kiddo loves Monsters Inc.
Lots of Dots: Alphabet Tracing Sheets
Letter S (squares)
Letter Collages 2010
lower case letters written on clothespins, match to upper case cards.
End of the year
KidsTV123.com - Alphabet Worksheets
Floor Tape Letters - I Can Teach My Child!
Can't find these! Draw a letter on a pin board and have children push the pins in correct order to form the letters. (Could write numbers and even draw arrows to show letter formation sequence.) Great for fine motor skill development, but also for remembering the path of motion for each letter.
Preschool Letter H - In My World
Great practice for beginning sounds!
Zoophonics pics fold over game...File folder chore chart - isn't that clever! Love this idea!!
My Name Is Snickerdoodle: Do I hear 1,000?
A is for alligator preschool craft
Letter of the Week: A is for Alligator (Preschool Printable)
Use toys to practice phonics at home. Fun letter sounds game for kids.
Phonics Game For Kids - Pound The Sound - No Time For Flash Cards
koosh balls and tweezers
Counting Coconuts: On Our Shelves - March
"Thahca" (deer) figure cut out by preschooler and dotted with cotton swab dipped in white tempera; dried grass bedding made from brown tempera fork prints. Craft accompanied the story, "How the Fawn Got Its Spots" (from Keepers of the Animals by Joseph Brouchac).
Alligator & Dinosaur Footprint Crafts for Kids - Crafty Morning
Alphabet play dough mats. Easy for beginning kindergarten because the letters on mat look like real play dough "snakes".


Finding 6-1 Demands for reading, writing, and numeracy skills are intensified because of health-care systems’ complexities, advancements in scientific discoveries, and new technologies. These demands exceed the health-literacy skills of most adults in the United States.
Finding 6-2 Health literacy is fundamental to quality care, and relates to three of the six aims of quality improvement described in the IOM Crossing the Quality Chasm report: safety, patient-centered care, and equitable treatment. Self-management and health literacy have been identified by IOM as cross-cutting priorities for health-care quality and disease prevention.
Finding 6-3 The readability levels of informed consent documents (for research and clinical practice) exceed the documented average reading levels of the majority of adults in the United States. This has important ethical and legal implications that have not been fully explored.
Recommendation 6-1 Health-care systems, including private systems, Medicare, Medicaid, the Department of Defense, and the Veterans Administration should develop and support demonstration programs to establish the most effective approaches to reducing the negative effects of limited health literacy. To accomplish this, these organizations should:
Recommendation 6-2 HHS should fund research to define the needed health-literacy tasks and skills for each of the priority areas for improvement in health-care quality. Funding priorities should include participatory research that engages the intended populations.
Recommendation 6-3 Health literacy assessment should be a part of healthcare information systems and quality data collection. Public and private accreditation bodies, including Medicare, NCQA, and JCAHO, should clearly incorporate health literacy into their accreditation standards.
Recommendation 6-4 HHS should take the lead in developing uniform standards for addressing health literacy in research, service, and training applications. This includes addressing the appropriateness of research design and methods and the match among the readability of instruments, the literacy level, and the cultural and linguistic needs of study participants. In order to achieve meaningful research outcomes in all fields:


K-5: Experience ABA Form
by Lisa Qualls, Learn NC
This lesson will help students understand ABA Form. Through listening activities, they will be able to distinguish the “A” section from the “B” section and the return of the “A” section. Other activities will also be used for illustration.
A lesson plan for Grades 1–5 Music Education
- understand the concept of ABA form.
- distinguish the “A” sections from the “B” sections in selected listening examples.
- describe the differences in the “A” sections and the “B” sections using musical terms.
Time required for lesson: 55.00 minutes
- CD or tape player
- Recording of “Eine Kleine Nacht Musik,” by Mozart
- Recording of “Little David Play on Your Harp”
- chalkboard and chalk (or markerboard and markers)
- groups of objects to demonstrate the concept of “same, different, same” (e.g. blocks)
- paper, pencils, colored pencils
Students will need to be familiar with basic dynamic terms and terms of musical expression.
Students also need to be able to recognize different musical instruments by their sounds.
1. Begin by introducing the concept of same, different, same:
- Prepare several visual displays that illustrate this concept. For example, arrange three stacks of books in front of the room. Stacks one and three should be identical. The middle stack should be a group of books of varous sizes, colors, and shapes.
- Have the students tell you what they see.
- Lead them in a discussion about the differences and similarities of the stacks of books.
- Label the stacks “A”,“B”,“A”. For this activity, you may use basically any group of objects that illustrate this concept. Groups of students can be used as well.
2. Following this activity, give students a brief explanation and description of ABA Form in music.
3. Draw a chart on the board that has three columns labeled “A”,“B”,“A”. Write the title of the music, “Eine Kleine Nacht Musik” at the top of the chart. Have the students copy the chart on paper of their own.
4. Play this musical selection for the students twice, helping them distinguish the “A” sections from the “B” sections as they listen. Play the selection a third time and have the students write down on their charts what they hear in each section. Encourage students to use musical terms to describe what they hear in each section. They may also use non-musical terms or create icons to represent what they hear. When the students have finished this activity, discuss the differences they heard between the “A” and the “B” sections and the return of the “A” section.
- Play the recording, “Little David Play on Your Harp” twice. Play this selection a third time and have the students raise theirhands when they hear the “B” section begin and the “A” section return.
- Have students complete a chart for this selection as they did in the previous activity. Charts could be evaluated by teacher or peer partners.
Suggestions and Ideas for Teaching Music http://www.musiceducationmadness.com/contributions.shtml
You may use any selection in ABA form to teach this lesson. This lesson could be modified to teach AB, AABA, Call and Response, Theme and Variations, and Introduction/Coda forms.
Return to Lesson Plans


How will Common Core State Standards be presented to a student who is in the 11th grade and reads at a third-grade level? How will these new standards include students with learning disabilities or mental health issues or who have limited family support?
Will there be outreach to parents or guardians, particularly individuals who may be technically challenged or unfamiliar with a specific subject? Will these new standards help close the education achievement gap? Will enough money and resources be allocated to underperforming schools?
These questions were among those raised last Saturday in a presentation on the new Common Core standards hosted by the Tri-City NAACP.
Malcolm Butler, assistant superintendent of educational services for the Fairfield-Suisun School District, along with Araceli Cantu-Tong, director of English language services, and Diane Ferrucci, coordinator of elementary education, addressed the concerns.
Butler, in a Power Point presentation, discussed Common Core. Its goal is to help students to be college- or career-ready when they graduate from high school. "We want to teach them," Butler said, "how to think, how to listen and how to articulate their thoughts in formal and informal settings." Students will learn how to collaborate with each other. They will also write more, beginning in kindergarten.
Until now, states have set different standards for what students should know and be able to achieve at each grade level. With Common Core, students across the United States will be able to compete nationally and globally, no matter their ZIP code, language or race, supporters say.
Butler said strategies are being developed to support student development and to identify students who have special needs or who live in unhealthy family situations.
The National Urban League, an African-American organization, fully supports the Common Core State Standards. The Tri-City NAACP has not said whether it endorses them. Right now, the organization's main goal is to assist parents and provide information to them and to the community about Common Core, as well as hear concerns. The NAACP plans to offer computer workshops to parents to demonstrate the key components of Common Core and the related testing materials.
Meanwhile, the standards have been met with intense opposition for different reasons. Common Core will be a challenge for educators, students and parents, and it won't solve all of the problems of public education. However, we owe it to our kids to give Common Core an opportunity to succeed.
Many of us who fell through the cracks during our early education should remember the difficulty we experienced later in life and how, in some cases, it limited our career options. The stakes are too high to have these standards dismissed and too important to embrace them without being flexible enough to revise and improve them when necessary. It is all about meeting the educational needs of our kids. In today's world, that takes an entire community.
- - -
The author is a social issues advocate, writer and a Vacaville resident. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org.


Make Your Phonics Instruction Fun!
Tired of teaching phonics through boring worksheets and repetitive drill? Action Factor’s Sing Your Way Through Phonics Program CDs, Mini-Charts, and Read-and-Sing books help kids build reading foundations by capitalizing on their natural playfulness, energy, and creativity. Dedicated to the principle that children learn best when they are actively involved, we ask these questions: As a child, would you rather learn phonics through rhythm and song or through workbook exercises? Would you rather prepare for a test by playing a game or through traditional study and review? Action Factor answers these questions the same way you do. View and listen to our easy-to-use phonics education products and check them out for yourself!
Bringing an element of play into learning is what we’re all about. Supported by an extensive research base and tested with real children in real classrooms, our free phonics lesson plans have helped thousands of young learners master the basics of reading and writing through music. From our popular Sing Your Way Through Phonics Combos to our Teacher Training Workshops, Action Factor offers educators, parents, and grandparents a treasure trove of delightful educational tools to share with young learners, all at a reasonable price with low shipping costs. Find out more…
View the Scope and Sequence of our products for a detailed description of the concepts covered in each volume of Sing Your Way Through Phonics. Teachers, to see how other educators use our products, check out our How-To for Teachers page. Parents, would you like to help your child become a better reader and writer? Our Parent Guide can help you select the right product for your child’s needs. For guidance on how other parents use our products, visit our How-To for Parents.
Sing Your Way Through Phonics Combos
Our Combos combine a Sing Your Way Through Phonics CD (available in either teacher’s voice or children’s voices) and its associated Mini-Charts with a single volume Song Lyrics Booklet at a reduced price. A helpful Teaching Suggestions Booklet is included with each combo.
Sing Your Way Through Phonics Multi-Level Ensembles
Classroom Ensembles combine multiple volumes into a cost-saving package. The 4-Volume Ensemble Complete contains the Ready to Read Combo, plus Volumes 1, 2, and 3 Combos. The 3-Volume Ensemble contains Volumes 1, 2, and 3 Combos. All Ensembles include music CDs, Mini-Charts, Teaching Suggestions Booklets, and reproducible Song Lyrics.
Sing Your Way Through Phonics Read-and-Sing Books
Our Read-and-Sing Books keep students smiling as they follow along and join in the lively phonics learning songs. Priced for convenience and economy, the Read and Sing Complete Collection includes all 11 Read-and-Sing Books with their music CDs at a price that is lower than the cost of the individual collections or books. Also available are the 6-book Letters & Sounds Collection and 5-book Early Words Collection. These collections provides a foundation in phonemic awareness and early phonics that is crucial to early literacy - an excellent enhancement for the Sing Your Way Through Phonics Volume 1 Combo!
Beginning Reader Book
Take a look inside When Santa Got Stuck in the Chimney. This delightfully illustrated cumulative tale of Christmas mishap is a take-off on the familiar nursery rhyme, The House That Jack Built. With text that guarantees successful reading, even for beginners. It’s easy for beginners to read along as each new page recaps all the familiar links to Santa’s dilemma.
If I Can Teach A Child Music CD
Looking for a great gift for that special teacher? Listen to and consider this inspiring musical tribute to those who share the joy of reading with their students...


Nationalism and Form in Indian Painting
A Study of the Bengal School
JUST BY painting in India, one does not produce Indian painting/1 This cryptic remark by the historian Akshay Maitreya directed at the attempts ofAbanindranath and his students indicated the rise
of a new consciousness among the Indian art-loving public. Used as interchangeable, the terms Indian' and 'national' were introduced in the early twentieth century as new evaluative categories By 1905 this awareness was expressed through a number of debates, both in the British Indian educational circles as well as among the Bengali intelligentsia. The first.known as the Bums-Havell debate, gained significance in the formulation of art education policies. The second housed by popular Bengali monthlies like Prabashi and Bharat-barsha and the English art journal Rupam revealed the cross-currents of modernist vs traditionalist attitudes. The range and variety in the structuring of arguments show how the Bengali 'bhadralok'was coming to grips with multiple sources of knowledge. Art' assumed an importance unprecedented in British Indian history. For the first time an art movement began which came to be recognized as 'national' paradoxically by both the Bengali intellectual in his Swadeshi fervour' as well as the British media at the same time. By 1910, the attempts of Orientalists to reveal Indian art to the west were over. Indian art was supposed to have 'arrived'. The approval of the British liberal intellectuals, which included a number of artists, made it clear that the art pursuits ofAbanin -dranath and his followers had succeeded in linking Indian art to a glorious past.
Journal of Arts & Ideas 5


Activities are from the National Center for Family Literacy (www.famlit.org), a nonprofit organization recognized as the leader in family literacy development. (NAA 2007 literacy tab, Newspapers Give People Knowledge and Guidance.)
1. Help your child write a letter to a family member. Ask her to tell about her day. Take the letter to the post office or closest mailbox, and mail it.
2. Read a newspaper article together. Ask whether the important ideas were at the beginning or the end of the article.
3. Plan a weekend outing to the park. Check the weather map each day that week to see what the weather forecast is and how it changes.
4. Pretend to be a newspaper reporter and interview your child about her favorite book. Ask all the “W” questions – who, what, where, when and why.
5. Talk about a photo in the newspaper. Ask your child what he thinks is happening in the photo. What might have happened right before the photo was taken? Right after?
6. Cut out some numbers from the newspaper. Ask your child to put them in order from smallest to largest. Leave a number out of a group of consecutive numbers. Ask your child which number is missing. (Do this counting by twos or fives).


DISCUS wants to provide you with useful resources and new insights into teaching and educational developments.
Here, you can find features from our guest bloggers and newly published (or highly rated) lessons. Below you can also find a variety of useful links to other web resources. Obviously, we have a lot to share (don’t forget to check out our free lesson plans), but we know that there is a lot more out there. If you have ideas about other sources we should feature, please do not hesitate to contact us.
American Chemical Society (ACS) Science for Kids: Features a series of activities for teaching different areas of science and chemistry to kids. A link can also be found for “K-8 Education Resources,” which includes some science education guides and activity books for purchase.
American Chemical Society (ACS) Chemistry Education Resources: Links to a series of chemistry teaching resources by grade level, from elementary school to graduate education.
CAL SIOP: Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) has great resources about SIOP in general, information about research on SIOP, and professional development opportunities. They also feature some SIOP lessons and an on-line store to purchase reference and instructional materials.
Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE): A component of the University of California – Berkeley Graduate School of Education, CREDE research led to the creation of the SIOP model. Important resources here include research findings and “The CREDE Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy”.
Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners: CREATE is a national resource development program and educational research partnership focused on addressing the challenges of educating English language learners.
Cool Science for Educators: This site is loaded with resources created by the broader science community to help you teach science more effectively.
Constructivism and the 5E Model Science Lesson: Promotes the merits of the 5E lesson as being constructivist (a good thing) and provides not only a few resources, but also a rubric which might be used to evaluate a 5E lesson
Discovery Education: An off-shoot of the Discovery Channel, this site provides a variety of classroom and home resources, as well as professional development opportunities.
Educational Innovations, Inc.: A wealth of affordable science products for all ages and subjects. Register to receive a free regular catalog.
Enhancing Education – The 5E’s: A simple but effective description of each of the 5E’s, and what each E should accomplish.
FOSSweb: Support, resources, and fun activities related to the Full Option Science System (FOSS) inquiry-based science curriculum.
HotChalk Lesson Plans Page (Science): Hundreds of free science lessons and experiments across a wide range of grade levels.
Instructional Strategies: This site provides reference to the book, “Classroom Instruction that Works,” but also provides links to a wealth of information on effective teaching strategies.
Instructional Strategies Online: A resource from Saskatoon Public Schools which provides a variety of teacher support information. The information provided on Interactive Instruction methods is particularly good.
Scholastic Teachers: A general teacher resource site with a lot of variety, both in content and topic.
Steve Spangler Science: An excellent source of activities, inexpensive science supplies, experiments, projects, workshops, and toys for teachers.
Teachers.Net: Chat boards, lesson plans, jobs, classifieds, projects, and a variety of other general teacher resources.
The 5E Learning Cycle Model (Midwestern State University): An excellent and detailed description of the 5E model, including design considerations and insight into each of the 5E components.
The SIOP Institute: A site focused on improving the quality of education for English learners. They offer a variety of resources and workshops to help teachers learn and use Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol.
VARK – A Guide to Learning Styles: Have your students try the “Questionnaire” to judge what kind of learner they are. Other resources are provided to support these assessments, some for purchase.


Mill put his case to Parliament for female suffrage.
Parliament passed Parliamentary Reform Act giving the vote to many
working class men.
London Society for Women's Suffrage formed to campaign for female
Married Women's Property
Act allowed married women to own their own property - until this point
all women's property belonged to the husband.
Elementary Education Act passed, which allowed women ratepayers
(property owners) to vote for and serve in school boards.
Women allowed to be
elected as Poor Law Guardians.
Act extended the vote to most men over the age of 21.
Local Government Act
allowed women to vote in elections for county and borough councils.
Parish Councils Act
allowed women to serve on urban and district councils.
Formation of NUWSS
- National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (the main Suffragist
movement) - under leadership of Millicent Fawcett.
Formation of WSPU
- Women's Social and Political Union (the main Suffragette movement)
- under Emmeline Pankhurst.
Beginnings of militant
action. Emmeline Pankhurst disrupted a Liberal Party meeting in Manchester.
First arrests of Suffragettes
for disrupting a Liberal Party meeting.
Election of Liberal
government. Four hundred of 650 MPs were in favour of women's suffrage.
Women's Suffrage Bill
introduced in March but ran out of time to become law.
a radical Suffrage Bill proposing women's suffrage for some women
and the vote for virtually all men. The Bill was passed in the Commons
but then delayed by Parliamentary disputes over the People's Budget
(see Gallery 2). The Bill was dropped when a new election was called
In June an All Party
Committee of MPs put forward a Conciliation Bill to give some women
the vote. The Bill was passed by the House of Commons but then dropped
when another election was called in November. Furious Suffragettes
stepped up their campaign of violence resulting in many clashes with
police and arrests.
reintroduced in May and passed with large majority. In November the
Liberal PM Asquith then changed his position. He decided to drop the
Conciliation Bill and bring in a new measure to give more men the
vote. He then indicated that MPs could add an amendment to give some
women the vote.
Suffrage Bill introduced. However, the Speaker of the House of Commons
ruled that a Male Suffrage Bill could not also give votes to women.
The amendment to give votes to women was withdrawn. Militant suffragette
action became even more intense, including arson attacks and the destruction
of the London to Glasgow telephone line.
Great War broke out
in August 1914. All women's suffrage campaigners stopped campaigning
and supported the war effort. Despite this, the NUWSS continued to
represent women and to press for recognition of the work that women
a Representation of the People Act, which gave the vote to all men
over 21. Some women also got the vote: women over 30, and women over
21 who were householders (owned their house) or married to householders.


Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) December 07, 2013
ArtSchools.com responds to an article published by The Western News, which details the importance of teaching students about fine art and the impact is has on a student’s education.
According to the The Western News article titled “Art education develops a student’s mind in so many ways,” the state of Montana requires high school students to take an art course. Students must learn the fundamentals, including basic terminology, basic tools and understanding why art is essential to the education system.
For example, the article says some high schools in Montana teach students about how art affects the right and left side of the brain. Learning about this can actually supply students with a “wider latitude in their creative artistic endeavors” and can “enhance a student’s ability to problem-solve in math and science as well as in creative writing.”
Andrew Girard, a representative from ArtSchools.com, a directory of the best art schools in the country, says art education is more than just pretty pictures and ornate paintings. It has become an essential part of the education system with cognitive benefits. “Art education stimulates certain portions of the brain to allow people to think deeper and enhance their creative abilities,” Girard says. “Having a good art education is of the utmost importance. Art encompasses everything from music to fashion to video game design. It is in everything we do and finding a school with a renowned art program has never been easier with our directory.”
ArtSchools.com is a comprehensive directory of art degrees, art schools and art-related programs listed and maintained by Monster.com, the leading platform for job seekers. ArtSchools.com is dedicated to assisting prospective artists, teachers, and students find schools, jobs, and programs best suited for their preferences. Whether you’re looking for a new job, a new school or a new direction, the ArtSchools.com directory offers insight into top degree programs in a variety of fields, including graphic design, fashion design, interior design, game design, web design, photography and film.


New from Ducksters
Read our content on your eReader or mobile device with no ads.
Hi kids, parents, and teachers! Science projects and experiments can be fun. However, be sure to always have a parent or teacher supervising to make sure things are safe!
Science Experiment: Light Travels
Purpose: To discover how light travels and learn about the physics of light. Light behaves like a wave and a particle. For more on light see Light Science for Kids.
- 3 index cards
- small piece of modeling clay or sticky tack
- hole puncher
- science journal
Conclusion and Questions
- For each index card, use a ruler to draw lines connecting opposite corners of the card.
- At the intersection of the two lines, use a hole puncher to punch a hole in the center of the index cards.
- For each card, use a small piece of modeling clay and place the card into the clay to create a "stand" for the card. Place the cards so that they stand vertically and at an equal distance from each other. See Diagram.
- Place the flashlight at one end of the row of index cards and turn off the light in the room.
- Arrange the index cards so that light can be seen through all the holes.
- Observe and record your observations.
- How can light be seen through all the index cards?
- What does the experiment prove about the path light travels?
- What would happen if the holes were smaller?
1. How can light be seen through all the index cards?
The holes are in alignment and the light travels in a straight line.
2. What does the experiment prove about the path light travels?
Light travels in a straight line.
3. What would happen if the holes were smaller?
The light would continue to travel in a straight line but in a more restricted path.
Reference: NASA SciFiles
More Light Experiments:
Light Spectrum - Learn about the light spectrum and what white light is made of.
Back to Kids Science Projects
Back to Kids Science
Back to Kids Study


Welcome to Dyslexia-Check
Dyslexia is a recognised disability affecting 10% of the population, Dyslexia-Check is a quick 30 minute psychometric computer test to recognise dyslexia.
Sir T.R. Miles of Bangor University has assessed the face validity of the test and sub test. Dyslexia may affect the ability to develop good literacy and numeracy skills. Undiagnosed dyslexia has a great social cost.
Undiagnosed dyslexia may lead to:
- Education failure
- Low self esteem
- Poor confidence
- Reduced employment prospects
- Disruptive and anti-social behaviour
Instines measures the following cognitive performances:
- Spatial awareness and recognition
- Homophone/spelling recognition
- Verbal reasoning
- Reverse, audio and visual digit span
- 3D processing
- Directional awareness
- Right and left awareness
- Reading speed
What Dyslexia-Check Measures
Highly indicative of spelling difficulties due to specific learning difficulties,
this trait is the one most frequently underachieved by dyslexics.
However, no one score can be used to make the diagnosis of dyslexia.
The subject has been asked to spot the correct spelling amongst 3 other misspellings,
which are all pseudo homophones of the given word.
The word is also read to the subject by the software.
Older dyslexics who have begun to compensate, may have average, even good spelling abilities,
but remain poor achievers in this test.
This is because the 'rules' to spelling do not help them when confronted with 'possibly correct' alternatives.
This is a strong indicator of likely difficulties with spelling, throughout life.
This score is taken from the pattern reconstruction test.
Visual processing abilities in the average dyslexic have been found to be higher than in non-dyslexics
(due to more symmetrical volumes of brain mass in the planum temperal).
This is (like all rules regarding dyslexia) not always the case.
One confounding influence on this test could be very poor visual working memory.
This measures the subject's more contextual understanding of words, rather than (as a vocabulary test might)
their ability to give a simple definition.
This is another good indicator of dyslexia (when taken in conjunction with other indicators).
It is important to note that if the reading speed test has a high score and the comprehension test a very low
score then the subject may not have read the comprehension test passage.
Many poor readers may try to skip the passage, as they are embarrassed to say they cannot read or find the task highly frustrating.
If you think this may be a problem, stipulate the importance of the test before the subject begins the first subtest.
If the subject does skip the test, the diagnosis given by the computer will most likely still be accurate regarding the
presence of dyslexia (with the usual error margin). However, it is advised that more assessment is conducted to investigate the
cause: it may be that poor eyesight, and/or other specific learning difficulties are the issue here.
Dyslexics tend to generate extreme scores on this test.
This score is taken from the maze test.
The 'average dyslexic' will tend to get to grips with the 3D maze quickly, and thus travel a good distance through the maze.
They may also confuse North and South, East and West and hence run a higher risk of heading further in the wrong direction.
So most dyslexics will do very well, and a large percentage of those who don't, will do very poorly.
Digit Span (forward and reverse):
These two scores indicate the strength of the subject's short-term/working memory.
Again this can be a poor score in most dyslexics.
This is not significantly affected by E.S.L. (English being a Second Language) and so provides a useful distinction between SpLDs
(Specific Learning Difficulties) and environmental/educational impairment of skills.
This is also an indicator that a subject may need to use tailored learning methods,
e.g. a reverse digit span score might indicate that they may not be able to write notes whilst watching a demonstration,
the two tasks being too much for their 'real time' processing abilities - which is not to say they could not tackle each task
If you are unfamiliar with the term 'short-term/working memory',
please find out more, as this will certainly help you empathise more with dyslexics'
needs and their perception of the world.
If you are satisfied that the candidate has read the passage in the reading speed test,
this is a good indicator of how well a subject can absorb, retain, and recall information from written text.


Want your child to get better and better with words? Put a musical instrument in his or her hands.
That’s the implication of a new paper from Germany, which confirms and augments research conducted in Canada, and Hong Kong. Across cultures, it appears, training on a musical instrument improves kids’ verbal memory.
The results of an 18-month study suggest “a positive transfer effect from musical expertise onto speech and language processing,” writes a research team led by Ingo Roden of Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg, Germany. In the journal Frontiers in Psychology, the researchers note that no similar effect was found for kids taking an enriched academic curriculum.
The study featured 7- or 8-year-old children (37 boys, 36 girls), recruited from seven primary schools scattered around Germany. Twenty-five received special music training above and beyond the basic school curriculum.
Specifically, they participated in weekly 45-minute lessons, where they played the instrument of their choice (guitar, violin, cello, flute, trumpet, clarinet, or drums). Specifics differed somewhat from school to school, but the students received individual attention (with no more than five in a group), and they were instructed to practice regularly at home.
Another 25 children, taken from “two primary schools that emphasized natural science skills,” were given “enhanced education in mathematics and general studies” over that same 18-month period. An additional 23 children received no additional instruction beyond the basic school curriculum.
At the beginning of the program (as the school year started), all took a series of tests to assess visual and verbal memory. For verbal memory, they were asked to listen to and recall a series of 15 words immediately after hearing them, and then again after 25 minutes. They were then asked to pick them out of a list of 30 words.
“Across one and one-half years, children in the music group showed a greater increase on every measure of verbal memory than the natural science and control groups,” the researchers report, adding that these trends “prevailed after adjustment of the model to account for influences of individual IQ and age” and that improvement was seen continuously over time.
Precisely why isn’t clear, but the researchers have some solid ideas. “Playing music requires continued monitoring of meaningful chunks of information,” they write. “Rather than individual notes, these chunks entail clusters of notes that are combined into meaningful melodic gestures and phrases.”
There’s an obvious parallel between that process and the way clusters of syllables, meaningless in themselves, combine in our brains to form words. And in contrast with the verbal results—and in line with previous research—there were no similar increases in visual memory.
While further research will be needed to explain the specific brain mechanisms reflected in these results, they reinforce what the researchers call “the beneficial effects of music education of children at primary schools and, possibly, preschools, in terms of their cognitive development in general, and language acquisition in particular.”
Given this evidence, cutting music classes to concentrate on “basics” such as building vocabulary seems counterproductive.


December 25, 2013
EarthDesk presents this image by Charles Henry Alston to honor our veterans, more than 100,000 of whom are homeless this Christmas Day (EarthDesk, December 24). Alston was a painter, muralist, illustrator and sculptor. A central figure in the Harlem Renaissance Movement, he was also companion to some of the towering musical figures of the day: “I knew Ella Fitzgerald when she was a kid. I went with Billie Holiday to her first recording, and I used to sit in Bessie Smith’s rumble seat when she was going to record . . . I was sitting on [Duke] Ellington’s piano when he finished ‘Sophisticated Lady.’” He created this image while staff artist for the Office of War Information in 1940. More on Charles Henry Alston below.
Charles Henry “Spinky” Alston was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 28th, 1907. Early artistic influences included illustrated courtship letters by his father, Reverend Primus Priss, to Charles’ mother, Anna Miller. Alston also recalled his older brother’s drawings of cars and trying to copy them. After the death of his father, Alston’s mother married Henry Pierce Bearden (Romare Bearden’s uncle) in 1913 and the family moved to New York City.
Alston earned a Masters degree in art education from Columbia’s Teachers College. While still a student, he illustrated album covers for jazz musician Duke Ellington and book covers for poet Langston Hughes. Alston played a major role in the Harlem Renaissance Movement of the period. During the Great Depression, he and sculptor Henry Bannarn directed the Harlem Art Workshop which was funded by the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project.
Alston painted murals throughout Harlem, including depression-era murals as part of the WPA. One of his best-known murals was created by Alston and other Harlem artists for the Harlem Hospital Center. He later taught at the Art Students League and the City College of New York (CUNY).
This biographical information and more can be found at The Art of Charles Alston website.
A 1965 oral history interview with Alston is here.
Wikimedia Commons has an extensive collection of Alston’s works here.


"The Reality of Music Education"
A report on music programs in Oklahoma public schools found most students have access to music, although the number of courses available vary widely from district to district.
The report was commissioned by the Kirkpatrick Foundation of Oklahoma City. It found that general music is taught in 95 percent of the state’s elementary schools, but only half of those schools offer more than one music course.
In middle schools, choir and band courses are very common and replace general music classes almost entirely. Even though the variety of music courses increases in high school, the report says, more than 60 percent of all high schools offer two or fewer courses. The report also recommends the state encourage instrumental-music courses in elementary schools.
Vol. 29, Issue 19, Page 5
Get 10 free stories, e-newsletters, and more!
- Multiple Special Services
- Maine Regional School Union No. 10, Dixfield, ME
- Director of Operations (Spanish Fluency Required)
- Ascend Learning, Brooklyn, NY
- Head of School
- Saint James School, Montgomery, AL
- Executive Director, Charter Schools
- School District of Philadelphia, PA
- Multiple Positions
- Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City, NJ


Warm and Cool Picasso: Free Lesson Plan Download
Grade Level: 3-5 Art Education Lesson Plan
Art Elements: Color, Shape, Line
Art Skills: Warm and Cool Colors, Blending Oil Pastels
Making Connections: Art History
* Get more free lessons like this, on our Lessons Page
This lesson is one of my favorites because it combines three important concepts for students. Color theory, use of a new material (oil pastels) and art history learning about Picasso. Students are always impressed when they are finished and proud of what they have accomplished. I have done this lesson in both 3rd and 4th grade, but 4th seems to be the sweet spot for success with this lesson. You can use other shapes to trace in the middle (circles were just easiest). In the past I have used a leaf, or, to up the creativity factor or work on contour line, you could have students make their own tracer shape/design.


As soon as the review copies of Language Lessons arrived I was smitten. This is the finest implementation of the Charlotte Mason method of instruction I have ever seen. If you are new to home education, the Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) name may not be familiar to you. A British educator who devoted her life to improving the quality of children’s education, to Charlotte Mason, language arts skills consisted of narration, the child telling back a story, copywork, the transcribing of a well written piece of literature as handwriting practice, and dictation, which is spelling and grammar taught within the context of rich language instead of static lists.
From Theory To Ready To Use
Sandi Queen has done an excellent job of combining those lesson essentials, and even if she had stopped there Language Lessons would have been a fine program. But instead, she takes the series from satisfactory to exceptional by adding delightful flourishes that include picture studies with full-color paintings, basic phonics instruction, poetry appreciation and writing, creative writing, and much more.
Full Color Paintings Make These Books Sparkle
It is the gorgeous reproduction of notable paintings that will first catch your eye. True to the Charlotte Mason philosophy, the picture studies are based on classic works of art, introducing the child to the paintings of great artists, encouraging him to study them by asking pertinent questions, and then asking for a narration of what he has observed.
Very Short Lessons Cover Lots Easily
Likewise characteristic of the Charlotte Mason approach, each lesson takes a scant five to fifteen minutes a day. This increases a bit with age, but is never as time-consuming as you will find in the more staid programs typical of government schools. And Language Lessons doesn’t try to do everything everyday, which alleviates the tedium associated with other language arts programs. I know many mothers who struggle under the multiple pressures of parenting and educating, to say nothing of their responsibilities as wives and Christ followers. But I don’t know any mother who is too busy to use this program. Each book is a large, consumable, perfect-bound paperback, containing 180 lessons, and in full color.
A Little Too Flexible?
We love not having grade levels on the Language Lessons books since we all know that this is a difficult way to quantify a child’s skill level and find them the perfect placement. At the same time one of the number one questions we are asked at conferences is how to determine which book to start in. Our suggestion is to start with the most age appropriate series (as shown below) and then look at the samples on each to determine where in the series to start. Don’t hesitate to move up or down depending on your child’s unique needs, after all this is the beauty of homeschooling and is exactly how these books are intended to flex!
And the Winner Is…
RaeAnne LaBelle S who chose Language Lessons for the Very Young!


Preschooler: What should you teach your preschooler?
I just graduated with a degree in elementary education. I haven't gotten a job yet and plan to stay home with my children for the next six months. I have a three-year-old son. I can't afford preschool for him because we are a one income family. I would like him to be more than ready for kindergarten when the time comes. We have started with shapes, colors, numbers and letters. Could you please give me some advice on how to proceed.Question:
The most important lessons a child learns in preschool don't concern letters, numbers or shapes. They are social ones: how to follow a routine; how to share and wait your turn; and how to get along with other people, to name the three most important ones.
You can help your child in these areas by taking him to playgrounds or mommy-and-me classes and helping him deal with other kids. At home, you can play games or cook with him, and have him take turns with you as you mix ingredients. You can also make sure that your day has a structure of sorts, such as playtime, reading time (most important for his own future reading), hanging-out time, nap time, etc.
As for teaching your child letters and numbers, it is not important or necessary unless he is interested. And even then, it should be for only as long as he is interested. Three year olds have short attention spans. That's why there is so much to do in a preschool classroom! The children tend to flit from one activity to another, stopping for longer periods at what interests them.
When using intellectual materials with your child, make sure to take your cue from him. If he wants to spend just a few minutes on a task, that's just fine. Do what he is interested in. A good set of building blocks is probably your best investment at this age through six years. Block building teaches proportion, balance, creativity and social compromise (when building with others.) And kids just think they are having fun! These types of toys, called "open ended" because they have no "right answer," are the best thing for your child at this age.Answer:


Mandarin academy combines literacy and technology
June 25, 2008 -- Twenty middle school students are spending a month learning Mandarin on campus this summer, and there isn’t a textbook in sight. The students are immersed in the language by reading graphic novels, watching animations, playing games and creating podcasts and digital stories.
This innovative Mandarin program, devised by Christy Lao, professor of elementary education and Peggy Benton, professor of instructional technologies, uses a curriculum infused with relevant reading materials and the latest technology, designed to boost the students' grasp of reading, writing, listening to and speaking Mandarin. "Language teaching is still very traditional and is often based on textbooks," said Lao. "Here, we aren't using textbooks, but there's still a big emphasis on reading."
On campus, the 20 students start each day with an hour of free reading, settling down on beanbags and lime green couches in a classroom transformed with soft furnishings and lamps. "It's a pretty relaxed atmosphere and I've already noticed my Mandarin improving after a few days," said Hugh Gerstin, a pupil at Alice Fong Yu School in the Sunset district.
"There is a lot of reading," said Jonathan Pang, also a pupil at Alice Fong Yu. "I've learned some new idioms from the stories and comics I've read, phrases which I will be able to use in conversation."
Adjacent to the reading room is a computer lab where the students record their own podcasts, produce comics and create digital stories using VoiceThread. The web-based tool allows users to create online albums of photos, sound, video and text.
"This is a way of leveraging the cache of technology," said Benton. "Podcasts and digital stories involve both visual and auditory components and they include repetition which is useful for language acquisition."
During the program each child is given a free portable media player. "These encourage the students to engage with material in Mandarin at home," said class teacher Mindy Chaing, demonstrating a short animated film on one of the touch screen devices. "It helps reinforce what they have learned in class. Students can choose to listen to the spoken Mandarin, read the subtitles or even just pick up the storyline from the visuals."
The summer language academy is part of Startalk, a national initiative funded by the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Defense to improve the teaching and learning of strategically important world languages. Alongside the student program at SF State, 20 newly-qualified Mandarin teachers are participating in a teachers' course.
As the program draws to a close on July 11, the hope is that the students will continue their reading and podcasting over the summer break and beyond, staying in touch with each other through an online community.
For professors Lao and Benton the learning continues too. As teacher educators in the College of Education, they will assess how their methods have helped the students' language development. "We hope to write a paper about our findings from this pilot project to teach others what we’ve learned," said Lao.
-- Elaine Bible
Share this story:


This website is best viewed in a browser that supports web standards.
Skip to content or, if you would rather, Skip to navigation.
March 11, 2013MO | By: MDN
Some lawmakers in the Missouri state capitol are pushing to strike down a set of education standards.
Three years ago, the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education adopted the nationwide standards, called Common core. Some Republican lawmakers say education officials should have talked to the legislature before taking that action. Now, members of the Missouri House and Senate are moving towards taking those standards out of the classrooms. Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro says removing the standards would prevent students from performing on tests like the GED and ACT.


School music lessons: Not enough music, says Ofsted
There is not enough music in music lessons in many schools in England, say Ofsted inspectors.
In some lessons, teachers do not play or sing a single note, according to a report looking at music education as a whole.
Inspectors found girls were twice as likely as boys to take part in extra-curricular music in primary schools.
The study was based on evidence from inspections of 90 primary and 90 secondary schools from 2008 to 2011.
Out of these, 68 were rated "outstanding" for music education and 41 were judged "inadequate".
In primary schools, one in three girls took part in extra music activities, compared with one in seven boys.
In secondary schools, 6% of pupils with special educational needs or disabilities had extra singing or instrument lessons, compared with 14% of other students.
Inspectors suggested there was too much music in one particular lesson they observed - saying pupils were attempting to sing a piece of music while also trying to play violins and cellos.
"Learning was not secure because there was too much for pupils to learn at once - notation, violin hold, bowing, names of the strings, and singing," the report said.
"Most pupils appeared to enjoy the activity, but the sound was dreadful."Wide differences
Ofsted's chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said: "Inspectors looking at music teaching in nearly 200 schools saw quality ranging from outstandingly good to extremely poor.
"Too often, inspectors simply did not see enough music in music lessons. Too much use was made of non-musical activities such as writing without any reference to musical sound.
"Too much time was spent talking about tasks without teachers actually demonstrating what was required musically, or allowing the pupils to get on with their music making."
A spokesman for the Department for Education said the government had published the first National Music Plan in November last year and this had addressed many of the issues raised by Ofsted.
"It ensures that in future every child has the chance to experience a high-quality music education and the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and sing," he said.
Deborah Annetts, chief executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, said this was a critical time for music education and that this "clear signal from Ofsted of how music education needs to improve" was welcome.
"All music educators and head teachers must work together to ensure that the use of technology in music is encouraged, and the striking inequalities in provision - particularly by gender - are tackled," she said.
"The real message here is for head teachers and music educators to engage with the ISM, as the professional association for music, and other bodies to ensure that their staff are able, and confident enough, to teach music to the highest standard."


Wooden Building Blocks: Ideal Learning Toys
Wooden building blocks are simple, yet exceptional, educational toys. They inspire the imagination and stimulate your child's intelligence through active play. Your toddler can build pyramids, castles, forts, and any number of unique creations. Through this process, your child will develop reasoning skills, spatial awareness, and a sense of order and logic. During cooperative play, wood blocks are great for developing social skills like sharing, taking turns, and developing strategies together.
The wooden blocks you'll find here grow with your child and are ideal keepsake toys. After years of play, they become beloved and nostalgic toys that are passed on to next generations. Your child will remember them as part of a childhood full of fun and learning.
What Research Says
It is well known that toy blocks serve as building blocks for children's creativity. Research also shows a strong link to literacy development. A recent study reported in the October 2007 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine finds a strong association between playing with building blocks and a significant increase in language scores in young children. On average, kids who played with blocks scored 15 percent higher on their language assessment than those who did not.
Natural & Safe Wooden Blocks
The learning blocks you'll find at ChildTrek are child-safe and non-toxic.


hello all, my fiance's 5 year old nefew just started school last fall and started writng, well he was up here the other day and he wanted to make a picture for my daughter (who is 6 months old) and anyway he asked how to spell her name and i told him "a-u-t-u-m-n and he wrote it from right to left (instead of left to right like normal) so it looked like "nmutua"
his older brother has failed one grade so far and i believe has failed again this year (he is 9) because of reading difficulty
what could the 5 year old have?
Actually, he may not have anything at all. I see kids all the time that write backwards, it is just a prewriting skill. A lot of kids do this, and turn themselves around, some need help learning that we write from left to right.
You might help him out by writing her name down for him, or pointing to each letter as you write it for him. When you read to him, use your finger from left to right and point to each word as you read it.
Give him time. It does seem strange, actually I just marvel in the fact that kids can do this! lol lol
It is very common at this age. Actually its normal for kids to write some letters backwards up until about second or with b's and d's, even third grade. Keep in mind that we have been reading for a number of years but its all new to five and six year olds. They just don't understand the left to right progression yet.
My brother did this many years ago when we were young. He wrote backwards and tried reading from the right to left. We all assumed it was because he was left handed. He grew out of it with help from the teachers and parents.
Hi all, I am a special education minor with a major in Elementary education. This is completely normal at this age. If however, he is writing everything from right to left, I would intervene. If only some of his words are like this, I would let it go for a while. Here's a tip we learned: teach students to write in cursive from day one. It is impossible to write backwards, and they'll learn print along the way. Hope this helps! Good luck to all!


What is a Major?
In many ways, a major is like a contract between you, the student, and the school you attend. By declaring a major, you agree to perform certain work (i.e. classes) in exchange for a college degree. In looser terms, a major is simply an organized collection of classes, either revolving around a subject (e.g. mathematics), theme (e.g. media studies), or professional field (e.g. pre-med, pre-law, engineering, etc.) Northern Michigan offers more than 180 different majors from which students can select.
Do you know what the most popular college majors are around the U.S.? Last year's top ten included:
- Business management
- Elementary Education
- Secondary Education
- English Language and Literature
- Computer Science
- Political Science


Music meaning and transformation: meaningful music making for life
Dillon, Steven C. (2007) Music meaning and transformation: meaningful music making for life. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle, United Kingdom.
This book and the series which builds on the philosophy examines the musical experiences that students find meaningful and ways in which teachers, parents and community music leaders might provide access to meaningful music education. This is particularly relevant today because school music often fails to provide sustainable access to music making for life, health and wellbeing beyond school. The book seeks to reframe the focus of music education within a pragmatist philosophy and provide a framework that is culturally and chronologically inclusive. The proposed book is aimed at current and pre-service music teachers, community music leaders and coaches and designed to be a useful professional development tool and reference resource for teacher/community arts workers. Secondary audiences for the book would include all general and trainee elementary school teachers and interested teachers in disciplines other than music particularly those from the community arts concerned with music, cultural health and wellbeing in community settings. Another secondary market would be private music teachers in the community and recreational music-making coaches who need strategies and techniques for the provision of culturally inclusive music experiences within complex multi cultural and cross cultural settings.
Impact and interest:
Citation countsare sourced monthly fromand citation databases.
These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.
Citations counts from theindexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.
Full-text downloadsdisplays the total number of times this work’s files (e.g., a PDF) have been downloaded from QUT ePrints as well as the number of downloads in the previous 365 days. The count includes downloads for all files if a work has more than one.
|Additional Information:||Posted with the permission of the copyright owner for your personal use only. No further distribution is permitted without permission of the copyright owner.|
|Keywords:||Meaningful engagement, Student as maker, Teacher as Builder, constructivism, Music and flow|
|Subjects:||Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING (190000) > PERFORMING ARTS AND CREATIVE WRITING (190400) > Musicology and Ethnomusicology (190409)|
|Divisions:||Current > Research Centres > Australasian CRC for Interaction Design (ACID)|
Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Creative Industries Faculty
Past > Institutes > Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation
|Copyright Owner:||Copyright 2007 Steven C. Dillon|
|Deposited On:||28 Mar 2008|
|Last Modified:||11 May 2012 08:37|
Repository Staff Only: item control page


By Rachael Carnes
Every person can learn from dancing. Not everyone will grow up to perform dramatic leaps in a corps de ballet or to shuffle off to Buffalo with the Rockettes, but every child deserves the opportunity to dance. For babies and toddlers, creative movement offers a range of experiences that facilitate natural, easy play and proper development of alignment, neurological coordination and a fundamental exploration of baseline concepts that are the building blocks for future learning. For preschoolers, children about 2 1/2 to four, movement play in a creative dance setting can help to provide an essential educational experience. Through movement, songs, games and rhymes, children not only flex their muscles as they gain strength and endurance, but they challenge themselves emotionally and cognitively as well.
Creative dance for small children approaches many ways of learning. Inherently kinesthetic, a solid creative dance class should be appealing to both boys and girls, offering ample opportunity to hop, bound, run, dive, leap, jump, turn, kick, and stretch. Kids, of course, love to move. As an educational model, dance uses rhythm, honing children's aural skills, and giving them a chance to approach conceptual ideas through their bodies. Creative dance also relies on linguistic play like rhymes and games that involve the use of fun new language and vocabulary. Academically speaking, in a ten-week session of creative dance for preschoolers, your child can and should be exposed to most of the basic academic bases they'll climb to in their elementary education. But they'll tackle these new ideas not through tests and standards, but through fun, playful and engaging activities.
When children dance together, something amazing happens. Creative dance is a tremendous learning modality for the individual, but what's thrilling to see as a teacher and parent is the way children begin to embrace new ideas that foster community building and social connections. Under the care of a dedicated teacher, even the tiniest dancers can look at and appreciate each other's choreographic efforts, applaud each other's determination and zeal and work together to solve problems. While they're just having a great time singing and dancing and being silly, they're also addressing important meta-cognitive learning needs. Simply put, these small dancers can begin to see the differences in the way they think and feel compared to other people, to accept and celebrate these differences, and to have the necessary vocabulary to sort out their experiences. This level of objectivity about other people is something that will serve any child well as he or she encounters the larger classes and variety of experiences that loom in early educational experiences. The creative dance method offers children and their caregivers tools for learning for a lifetime.
As with any enriching educational activity, consistency is key. You and your child can play at the pool once or twice over the course of a few months, and have a great time. But if your goal is to have your child become safe and comfortable in the water, you're probably going to want to take regular lessons. That's why it's recommended that children be involved in a regular creative dance class, so they can get to know the teacher and his/her classmates, so they have the chance to build on the conceptual vocabulary that has been worked with in previous weeks and so they can gain a greater understanding of the material. But most importantly, consistency and the repetition and affirmation it affords will provide your child with a wider launch pad for their own creativity both in and out of class.
Here are a few of the benefits of Creative Dance for preschoolers:
- Increased body awareness, kinesthetic comfort and ease
- Improved alignment, flexibility and neurological patterning
- Emotional and social growth and development
- Greater self-esteem and autonomy
- Linguistic and aural (listening) skills enhanced
- Beginning understanding of academics such as math, reading, spelling and science
- Approaches 'classroom skills' necessary for school experiences, such as taking turns, following directions, listening, sharing and communicating needs and feelings
- Develops an early creative spark in individuals and groups
For more information on the benefits of dance and other art forms on early childhood education, please refer to this website's links to other organizations dedicated to improving children's learning experiences.© 2003-2008 Rachael Carnes


A child's long educational journey often begins with a simple tune — "A-B-C-D-E-F-G . . . Now I know my ABC's. What do you think of me?" Since English is an alphabetic language, it makes sense to start children at a young age learning this series of squiggles and lines that, when combined, create something spectacular — printed words. Teaching the most common sound-spelling correspondences helps children understand the alphabetic principle. For some children, this is a tremendous "aha." Reading becomes like a puzzle in which they map a sound onto a letter or letter cluster, and blend the sounds together to read words. For other children, the process requires more practice and time. These children need additional opportunities to hear the sounds, play with sounds and letters, write letters and words, and practice reading simple words using the sound-spellings learned. As children progress through the grades, the teaching of sound-spellings will become even more complex as they encounter longer and more difficult words. Yet, the teaching never stops — from the ABCs to learning the six syllable types in the intermediate grades, it's all important.
This site is designed to help you along this important educational journey. Classroom resources, research documents, model lessons, and games are included. Watch and listen as my colleagues and I demonstrate and discuss key aspects of phonics instruction, including how to best teach your students the skills they will need to achieve reading success. As you teach your students phonics, remember to share your excitement and interest in our sometimes complex, yet always fascinating, written language. Introducing your students to the joys of reading is one of the most important things you can do!
Wiley Blevins has taught elementary school both in the United States and South America. He completed his undergraduate work in Elementary Education at Bowling Green State University and his graduate work in Education at Harvard University. Currently Editorial Specialist for Early Reading at Scholastic, Inc., Blevins is the author of several books on phonics instruction, including Phonemic Awareness Activities for Early Reading Success, Quick-and-Easy Learning Games: Phonics, and Phonics from A to Z: A Practical Guide.
Phonics Books by Wiley Blevins
Phonemic Awareness Songs and Rhymes in the Teacher Store (Grades PreK–2)
Phonemic Awareness Activities for Early Reading Success in the Teacher Store (Grades K–2)
Phonics from A to Z: A Practical Guide in the Teacher Store (Grades K–3)
Quick-and-Easy Learning Games: Phonics (Grades 1–3)
Building Fluency: Lessons and Strategies for Reading Success (Grades 2–6)
Teaching Phonics & Word Study in the Intermediate Grades: A Complete Sourcebook in the Teacher Store (Grades 3–8)


Literacy development is continuous from birth, beginning with a childs earliest experiences with language. Observations of young children show that the development of oral language, reading, and writing are interrelated processes, and that children learn to read and write concurrently. Young children will initiate activities with paper, pencils and crayons, and books and magazines, and will spontaneously assume the roles of writer and reader in their daily play. These observations of young children as they read and write form the foundation of the concept of emergent literacy.
In emergent literacy, children actively engage in acquiring language and in constructing their own understandings of how oral and written language works. They experiment with these understandings, testing them in verbal interaction with their parents and other adults. As parents and other adults demonstrate reading and writing in purposeful, meaningful ways, young children come to expect meaning from print. Studies show that children who are early readers have been read to extensively by their families. By the time they are two or three, many children can read environmental print such as familiar traffic or safety signs and symbols, restaurant names, or words they see in the media.
Early Years teachers recognize that young children bring to school a range of literacy experiences and knowledge that can be built upon in the classroom. Childrens knowledge about print expands quickly as they participate in meaningful and genuine experiences with reading, listening, talking, viewing, representing, and writing in the classroom. Teachers foster early literacy development by reading to children daily, by providing guided reading, writing, and representing activities from the first day of school, and by actively promoting literacy growth at a level appropriate to each childs development.
Daily reading at home is a vital support to childrens literacy growth. Children who are read to at home, and who experience warm interactions around books with a caring parent, grandparent, guardian, or sibling, tend to develop positive attitudes toward reading. Discussion between parent and child about stories and illustrations enhances oral language development, comprehension of text, and a sense of story. The parent is, in this way, providing a scaffold, or support for the childs literacy learning, just as the teacher does in the classroom.
Teachers who show determination in developing and maintaining a home reading program, and who provide regular information to parents about good books, useful strategies, and their childrens progress, are adding to their students literacy growth in immeasurable ways. This home-school partnership that begins in the early years is vital to childrens literacy development throughout the school years.
Students identified as Early Years students range from four to ten years of age. Kindergarten students and most students in Grade 1 are considered emergent literacy learners. Students in Grade 4 (and some in Grade 3) are moving into a transitional stage in which they are beginning to acquire many of the characteristics of the Middle Years learner. In order to meet the developmental needs of all students in Early Years classrooms, it is essential that teachers understand how children at these ages learn. Recently revised guidelines from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (Bredekamp and Copple, 1997) indicate the importance of appropriate support for literacy development in authentic contexts in all early childhood classrooms.
Recognizing the connections among childrens social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development has led educators to the philosophy that children learn best when schools provide a democratic, caring community with high family involvement. Within this kind of community, children feel valued. They receive relevant and meaningful learning experiences. They are offered appropriate choices about their learning. The research and theories of the past decade on childrens development and learning have added to our knowledge of early literacy development and are reflected in this document.
In the Early Years, there is dramatic growth in students listening, speaking, reading, and writing vocabulary. Most students move rapidly along a literacy continuum from pre-conventional (emergent) literacy to independence in reading, writing, viewing, and representing. An increased vocabulary and growing ability to consider other points of view greatly increase students oral and written communications skills. Their speech becomes more fluent, and they are capable of interactive, reciprocal conversations with teachers and peers.
By conversing with students, teachers extend and expand their conversations. Teachers can facilitate discussions among students by encouraging them to express their opinions, ideas, and feelings. These social interactions play an important role in learning. Conversing about their learning strengthens students abilities to express themselves, to construct meaning, to reason, and to solve problems. As they gain a greater control of language, children use it to think and to influence others thinking. Teachers demonstrate respect for students ideas by listening and responding attentively to them. It is important to provide small and large group activities in which students listen actively to peers, ask and respond to questions, in order to extend their developing communication skills and facilitate their cognitive development.


How to create a voltaic cell battery using a lemon.
1Polish the zinc and a penny (a small copper coin) with sandpaper.Ad
2Squeeze lemon without breaking its skin. The squeezing action releases juices inside the lemon.
3Cut two slits in the top of the lemon, 1 to 2 centimeters apart.
4Insert a penny (or copper coin) into one slit and the zinc into the other.
5Test to see if voltage is produced by touching leads of voltmeter to both the penny and the zinc.Ad
Are you an expert on facials?
If so, share what you know about how to give yourself a facial.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
We are a bit smarter today because of you.
- You can replace the strip of zinc with a galvanized nail.
- If you can get a copper strip instead of a penny, it will work even better. You can place it deeper into the cell. Pennies made after 1982 only have a thin layer of copper on the outside, the rest is zinc. Pennies from before 1982 and some from 1982 have a much higher copper content. You can hear the difference if you drop the pennies on a hard surface. If you have a real strip of copper, it will work better.
- You can replace the penny with a silver or nickel coin.
- You can replace the voltmeter with the speaker from an old transistor radio.
- Many other replacements are possible: experiment with them.
- This is called a wet cell; normal batteries are dry cells.
- Always be careful when working with electricity.
- Power in single cell isn't strong. You will require several linked together to light a light bulb (two or more cells make a battery).
Things You'll Need
- Zinc strip
- Penny (small copper coin)
- One lemon
- Scissors or knife
Sources and Citations
- Lemon battery, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_battery
Categories: Science for Kids
Recent edits by: Karen, Hailey Girges, Abrogation316
In other languages:
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 107,861 times.


Greater New Orleans
First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed more than 100 million free and low-cost books to disadvantaged children and the programs that serve them.
First Book-Greater New Orleans, was organized in 2001 and reorganized in 2007 following Hurricane Katrina. We are working to end the literacy crisis in New Orleans by increasing children’s access to books. We raise funds locally and select programs in Orleans and surrounding parishes as First Book grantees. Grantees use the funds provided by First Book-Greater New Orleans to select books from the First Book Marketplace at significant discounts.
. First Book–Greater New Orleans provides free books and educational materials to daycare centers, preschools, after-school programs, teachers’ classrooms, tutoring programs, etc. to reach disadvantaged children in Orleans and surrounding parishes. New books chosen by program leaders working directly with children are incorporated into program lessons, and then given to the children to take home and keep.
Since the reorganization in 2007, First Book-Greater New Orleans has worked with more than 175 existing community programs to distribute over 150,000 brand new books to underprivileged children with little or no access to books.
Most recent data describes a shocking gap in access to reading materials: “While the ratio of books to children in middle-income neighborhoods is approximately 13 books per child, the ratio in low-income neighborhoods is 1 book per 300 children.” In Orleans Parish, 40.5% of children under 18 were living in low-income neighborhoods before Hurricane Katrina (U.S. Census, 2000). In 2006, 53% of Orleans Parish fourth graders and 63% of eighth graders scored below the basic literacy level on the standardized LEAP test (LA Department of Education, 2007). By providing children with books they can take home and keep, First Book–Greater New Orleans targets the only variable that correlates significantly with reading scores—the number of books in the home.
“Access to books and educational material is the single biggest barrier to literacy development in the United States and beyond. If we can solve the problem of access, we will be well on the road to realizing educational parity – a goal which has eluded this country for generations.”-- Susan B. Neuman, Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ctr. for Improvement of Early Reading Achievement
With the reduction of poverty in the New Orleans area, post-Katrina, (and the overall reduction of poverty in the region), the suburbs are now home to the vast majority of poor in Southeast Louisiana. Between 1999 and 2008-10, the share of the region’s poor living in suburbs increased from 56 percent to 67 percent. The cities of New Orleans and Houma now have 87,000 impoverished residents, while the suburbs of Southeast Louisiana have 174,000 impoverished residents according to the GNOCDC: Poverty in Southeast Louisiana.
Apply For Grants
Please do not apply for more than one class. Incomplete applcations will not be considered. Grant cannot be used for school libraries.
The deadline for our next grant cycle is Friday, September 26, 2014 at 5 p.m. Grant applications must be emailed only to email@example.com or FirstBookGNO@aol.com.
First Book-Greater New Orleans
PO Box 50394
First Book-Greater New Orleans has given book grants to many programs in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Charles and St. John Parishes. A typical book grant lasts for a six month period and offers each child in the program a steady diet of books (usually one book per month), all at no cost to the program. Because program administrators select the titles from the First Book Marketplace, our book grants enable programs — often for the first time — to select books to integrate into curriculum.


We have had a wonderful start to school! Here is a quick look at what will be coming up in September for our fabulous 5th graders.
We will continue with the Nouns Unit through most of September. This is one of the larger units, but it reviews and teaches many of the foundational skills that the students will need throughout the year. Daily assignment will be given, but most should be able to be completed (or nearly completed) in class. There will be a test over this unit near the end of September. The test will be open book and open note, and will follow 4 days of in class review. Watch the agenda for more specific dates and assignments.
The first week of September we will be doing a fun "mini project" in class. The students will be adapting fairy tales to modern day situations and characters. Students will be given a rubric/handout of expectations which will include some type of visual to assist in the retelling of their story. This visual can be hand drawn, computer generated, a costume they wear to present, a poster, a book they made, etc. We will discuss this in-depth during class on Monday; my expectation is just that they have something prepared to share in class on Friday. I understand that they will be given only 4 days to work on this assignment, and will expect results that match this very short timeline. This will be done mostly in class, but depending on how elaborate your student chooses to make the required visual, some time at home may be necessary to finish the story by Friday.
The following weeks will follow the same pattern established during August. Mondays will be story introduction. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we will work in class to review the weekly skill focus through writing. An open book comprehension test will be on Fridays. The weekly comprehension tests do NOT need to be signed and returned.
The first week of September, the spelling words will be a review of the words from the first two weeks of school. A list will come home Tuesday September 2nd with all 10 words (5 of the 10 from each week in August). There will NOT be a vocabulary assignment this week, but a spelling test will be on Friday.
The rest of the month will follow the pattern established in August. The words that go with the weekly story will come home Monday with a vocabulary assignment due the next day. There will be both a Spelling and a Vocabulary test on Friday, which is NOT (much to the dismay of the students) open book.
During the last week of August, the "Superhero Essay" was introduced. While the content of this essay is silly, this paper helps the students understand the format of a 5 paragraph essay. We will be doing most of the work in class, but please watch the agenda for due dates of the rough draft, parent editing, and final copy.
Towards the end of September, the Saint Report paper will be introduced. This paper will also be in the 5 paragraph essay format. I will send home a worksheet with the specific information each paragraph should contain after the paper has been introduced.
During the first week of September, we will begin the Maya-Inca-Aztec unit. Most of this unit will be taught in class through discussion and lecture. There will not be many daily assignments given, rather points for participating during class. A study guide for this unit test will be given early in the unit and filled out gradually as we go through the unit. This allows the students to be studying the information as we progress through the unit so the test at the end won't be so overwhelming. Please watch the agenda for specific dates and information.