Early Childhood learning | How to teach kids
Worrying about early childhood education of your kid? Do many thoughts about your kidâs development and learning keep coming in your mind like waves rushing to the shore? You donât know from where to start your kidâs early childhood learning. Moreover, donât know what to teach, how to teach? If yes, you are not alone as many parents struggle with the same.
1. You Donât know the stages of early childhood education
You are not sure about the stages of early childhood learning. Not aware at which age your child starts learning sounds â is it 6 months or 4 years? Donât know what your kid should learn to read in kindergarten? Not even aware, at what age your child should start learning to read and write â is it 3 years or 2 years? When to teach ABC and when to teach words formation and most important how to teach kids all this? This list goes on and on and you, as a conscious parent keep seeking the answers. Why? Because you know that early childhood education is not just a duty of school or teacher. And as responsible parent, you need to play a greater role in your childâs learning since early childhood to build a solid foundation for future for your little one.
Therefore, you are always on a quest to find out the effective techniques to teach your child at home according to the various stages of his/her learning.
2. You Keep figuring out how to teach kids at home.
Being a conscious parent, you feel responsible from the beginning for the early childhood education. You know that your childâs early childhood education is most critical. You want to teach your little one with safe scientific approach and not just doing hit-and-trial methods.
Many important questions related to early childhood education make you curious and anxious too. Some of the questions that echo in your head could be â how to teach my kid English? How to teach my kid to read? How to teach my kid to write? How to teach my kids phonics? How to teach my kid math? how to teach my kid numbers? To find the answers to these endless questions you are in constant pursuit through various books and articles and buy numerous books and educational material for your kid but donât know how to track their progress of learning.
3. Youâre Always searching for the best books or best methods for your kidâs best learning.
To create a solid foundation and give best early childhood education to your kid, you are in constant search of best books and best approach and learning methods. Without any second thought, you go after what you found to be best, thinking what worked for other children would also work for your kidâs learning.
Though, there isnât necessarily a scientific approach of learning and they are random at best. You still get all possible early childhood learning material at light speed for your child. Because for you what matters the most is your childâs learning and smile. And you want to give best to your child to make his/her early childhood education most effective.
Deep down you are not sure whether it is working or not. Therefore, you are always on a scavenger hunt where you continue your search to find the best approach of learning during early childhood education.
FINDING ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR KIDSâ LEARNING AND EDUCATION IS THE KEY
Your committed pursuit of finding answers to the important questions; What to teach and How to teach kids â says it all.
How to integrate learning with fun? How to give stress-free learning to my kid? How to make my child learn language effortlessly? How to make my child learn with books even if you think he/she would like to be stuck to the mobile/cartoon TV? How to develop mathematical skills without targeted study? How to develop cognitive skills? How to give best learning environment to my kid? How to teach your kid in the most effective way, even if you get 1 to 2 hour a day to spend with your little one due to various other priorities.
This pursuit is what distinct you from others as you know the importance of your early childhood education.
Being a parent, you know what it takes to create strong foundation in early childhood for your kid. It is important to nurture the roots so that in coming years, your kid blossoms and grow with knowledge yet being a curious mind. And eventually turn into a healthy tree having numerous branches with the power of knowledge.
We are there with you in your pursuit and can help you with effective and new way of learning to give solid early childhood education to your kid.
Click here for a free and exclusive âULTIMATE GUIDE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING â HOW TO TEACHâ


Students can begin formal music lessons in middle or high school and still reap many benefits but itâs never too early to begin. In fact, the earlier your child is introduced to music, the sooner they will reap those benefits. A foundation of music is one of the most valuable gifts you can give your child.
At Piano Central Studiosâ¦
We understand the power of music
Music has several physiological and psychological effects on the human body.
When we hear music, our brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that gives us a âhappyâ feeling. At the same time, music calms our brains and helps reduce stress. It also helps boost our immune systems by creating an antibody called immunoglobulin A and natural killer cells that protect us against harmful bacteria and toxins.
Music is so powerful that music therapy is even used in the treatment of chronic pain and depression!
Brain development is also profoundly impacted by music, specifically when learning to play an instrument. This process increases grey matter volume in parts of the brainâneuronal cell matter that facilitates muscle control, memory, speech, decision making, etc.
Consequently, people who make music have an easier time learning.
Music activates both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, increasing mental âalertnessâ and reaction rate. At its essence, making music is a way to âwork outâ your brain.
Catherine Loveday, neuropsychologist at the University of Westminster states, âMusic reaches parts of the brain that other things canât. Itâs a strong cognitive stimulus that grows the brain in a way that nothing else does, and the evidence that musical training enhances things like working memory and language is very robust.â
Indeed, music is foundational to our mental and physical wellbeing.
We understand the value of music lessons
Greenville parents place a high value on music, incorporating it into the fabric of their childrenâs education starting at an early age and continuing through their school years.
Our KindermusikÂ® program is designed with these parents and young children in mind.
We believe that music bonds hearts. When parents and young children experience music together, they create lasting memories and children develop a strong sense of security and belonging. The early seeds of music are planted and watered through a shared environment of laughter, movement, singing, instruments and creativity.
In our KindermusikÂ® classes, imagination and self-confidence blossom as children play and explore the world of music around them with various instruments and vocals. Children grow and move through the classes from birth to age 7 and graduate into introductory, private or group music lessons where they can continue to learn, read, compose and explore music with a more specific focus.
The value of music lessons cannot be underestimated. It lays the foundation for a lifetime of music and learning.
We understand what it takes to create an environment where each child thrives.
When you give your child the gift of music lessons at Piano Central Studios, you throw the doors wide open for your child to experience a lifetime of academic, social/developmental and musical advantages.
We work hard to foster an environment where every child will grow and thrive
Nourishing hearts and minds with music making for life is our primary mission and the lifeblood of music education at Piano Central Studios. From choosing curriculum and hiring instructors to creating an overall experience that caters to our studio parents and children, we align all of our studio operations with our five core values:
- We are experience driven: We work hard to delight our studio parents and children. At Piano Central Studios, we strive for excellence in all we do.
- We are difference makers: We recognize the influence we have in our studentsâ lives and advocate for them as individuals and as musicians now and in their future.
- We are dedicated and innovative: We derive joy from helping unlock the natural potential and musical ability in each student.
- We are growth-mindset focused: We strive to continually improve the way we teach, motivate and impact our students.
- We are unified and energized: As a team, we are deeply allied together in our mission to nourish hearts and minds with music making for life and always keep the wellbeing of our students, their families and each other at the forefront of all we do.
Do you want to give your child the gift of music? Is your child lagging from this unusual past year? Would you like to jumpstart your childâs music education for Fall 2021? Right now weâre offering a 4-pack of private music lessons to set your child up for success! Contact us here to register!


What is creativity?
Creativity is a skill developed through opening minds to new environments and experiences. With creativity, your kids will be able to come up with solutions to problems, invent new ideas and express themselves. It is one of the most important life skills needed for success in all areas of life.
How to encourage creativity in kids?
1. Creativity helps kids succeed in school and in all walks of life. It is one of the most sought-after skills by employers.
2. Toddlers and preschoolers rank very high on the scale of creativity but as they turn older they lose their creative touch.
3. Parents can help their kids become creative by encouraging them to experiment and ask questions. Educational games for kids are a good way to develop creativity.
How can educational games help kids?
School-going kids take a keen interest in creative activities and learning through play. Educational games for kids help in various ways such as:
1. Develops creativity and imagination in kids
2. Build confidence
3. Teach how to express emotions, thoughts and ideas in verbal and nonverbal ways.
4. Learn about the world around them from someone elseâs point of view
5. Learn decision making, problem solving and critical thinking
6. Practice and improve social and communication skills
7. Develop motor and physical skills
Educational games for kids that help develop creativity skills
At SKIDOS, we strive to help your kids reach their full potential and develop their creativity skills for out of the box thinking and problem solving. Our experts have curated some of the best fun learning games that will help your kids have an easy transition back to school and will get their creative juices flowing.
SKIDOS Fantasy World is one of our fairy tale games for kids. In this mystical adventure, your kids can dress up princesses in various dresses. They can create dragons on the dragon island and create new creatures at the polymorph lab. If your kids love cooking, they can whip up a royal banquet for the castle. They can play soccer high up in the clouds too! Many more fun activities are there in this game along with exciting math puzzles that will help sharpen your kidsâ numeracy skills.
Skills learned: Creativity, Imagination, Storytelling, Basic math skills
Available on iOS and Android
This is one of our coloring games for kids. Here your kids can paint, color or choose any medium of tools they like to fill in beautiful artwork. As it is a virtual game, you need not be worried about your kids creating a mess in your house! With 100+ coloring sheets, they will never be bored of this game. This game is meant to relax and calm down your kids as it helps them develop concentration and creativity skills. While coloring, they can practice their math and english skills.
Skills learned: Creativity, Imagination, Concentration, Math and English
Available on iOS and Android
This is a fun virtual arts and crafts learning activity for kids. Here your kids can make popsicle stick cars, decorate trees with pasta and buttons and tuck cute biscuit animals into bed. This game is less messy- no glue, no paper and no material! Itâs completely eco-friendly and safe. It will help kids get their creative juices flowing and step into a new realm of imagination. Your kids can also practice math skills with this adorable game. Get this adorable creativity fueled game for your kids today!
Skills learned: Creativity, Imagination, Problem solving, Basic math skills
Available on iOS
Letâs Keep It Fun and Creative
A great way to start the school year right is to introduce them to our learning games. SKIDOS learning games are curated with love by our experts to help your kids develop math, english and 21st century skills like creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and more!
With a SKIDOS Pass, your can kids get access to our fun learning universe. We have a collection of 40+ exciting games, 1000+ teacher-designed learning activities, added bonus of 25 online games and more. Your kids will be able to select inclusive avatars for their player profiles that will help them express themselves. We have many more such cool features included in our games. Create up to 6 profiles for kids of all ages and let everyone enjoy our ad-free and safe learning games.
Interested to know more about us? Check out our learning videos on our YouTube channel. Tell us how was your kidsâ first week back to school by tagging us on our social media channels.


I can distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing similar actions.
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
Students act out verbs describing the same general action to distinguish shades of meaning.
Students will be able to distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action by acting out the meanings.
Have students practice adjectives by adding color words to the sentences to make them more interesting.
Discuss the term shades of meaning with students. Help students understand that we have many words to use when we want to describe them and that some are stronger and some are weaker. Just like colors, words have hues, which are called shades of meaning. Give examples with tiny/small/little. Then have students practice by whispering/saying and yelling the word "hello." How do the different "hello's" come across? Next explain that verbs are words that are used to describe an action (remember that if you're not sure a word is a verb, you can say the word "to" in front if it, if it works, it's a verb- to walk vs to blue). Give students a physical example by asking them to stand up and tip-toe, walk, and jog around their desks. Which of these is strongest? Have students form pairs and then tell students that their job will be to pick a verb from the chart and act out a stronger verb. So if the verb is 'walk' you may decide to act out 'jog'. As a class then drag the words from least intense to most intense. As a class determine which of the given verbs is stronger, and then determine stronger verbs and act them out. Show the shades of meaning ladder and have students drag the words in the colored groups to their places on the ladder from weakest to strongest. Again practice recognizing the stronger verb in given pairs.
Students are given multiple choice questions in which they must determine which of the given verbs has the strongest shade of meaning. They are then given pairs of words and must decide which of the given verbs is stronger.
Remind students that they can now not only distinguish shades of meaning between verbs, but also act out the different meanings. To close, have students form pairs and act out verbs. Have a students select one of the three verbs given in a set, and act it out. Their partner must guess which of the three they are acting out.
Save time building lessons
Manage the classroom more efficiently
Increase student engagement
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzyâs Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.
Roll and cover mats are fantastic resources for kids to practice numbers in a playful way! This summer, add excitement with the Sun Roll and Cover Mat, featuring Dice Dots for subitizing skills.
Download the freebie at the end of the post for endless fun!
Also, Make sure you donât miss out on other amazing Roll and Cover Mats for kids. Check them all out here!
Things needed to make this Sun Roll and Cover Mat
- Sun Roll and Cover Mat Printable ( Download at the End of the post by signing up)
- Manipulatives (Like coins, buttons or Pegs)
The preparation process is a breeze, making it even more convenient for parents and educators alike.
To get started, simply download the printable from the end of the post and print it out. Next, gather dice and a variety of manipulatives, such as buttons, counters, or small toys.
Now, itâs time for the kids to embark on their math-filled journey!
For added durability, consider laminating the mats, ensuring they can be enjoyed repeatedly.
Usage instructions for Sun Roll and Cover Mat
Encourage them to roll the dice, identify the number rolled, and cover the corresponding Dice on the mat using manipulatives.
This hands-on approach not only enhances their subitizing skills but also promotes fine motor development.
Also, you can turn this into a multiplayer game. Each player takes turns rolling the dice and covering the corresponding number on the mat with their game piece.
The player with the most covered spaces at the end of the game wins!
Watch as their excitement grows with each roll, fostering a love for numbers and an eagerness to learn.
With these Roll and Cover Mats, the summer holidays are transformed into an engaging and educational experience for children.
More Sun Activities for Kids
Solar System Printable
Learn the Planets and Facts with this fun Interactive Matching Game! The Perfect addition to your Childâs Learning Binder.
More Roll and Cover Printables
Similar Summer Printables for Kids
Opt for the Black and white version of the Stingray Roll and Cover Mat Printable, a great solution for parents who want to save on ink while enjoying the activity!
Unlock a new level of fine motor skill development by transforming these mats into roll and colour mats.
Encourage your child to colour over the matching numbers, fostering creativity and precision. This engaging twist is bound to captivate your kids and create memorable moments this summer!
Download the Sun Roll and Cover Mat Printable


Attitude plays a crucial role in shaping an individualâs behavior and actions. At Excel, we understand the importance of fostering a positive attitude in our students. A positive attitude can greatly facilitate success in various aspects of life.
In order to develop a positive attitude in our students, we focus on three key areas: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. To improve studentsâ cognitive attitude, or thought process, we have implemented an effective strategy known as goal setting. Goals are set according to a ratio of 1:2:4 for physical, personal, and professional goals respectively. To enhance their affective attitude, or emotional domain, we create a positive classroom environment through our SPICE program. Additionally, our Self-Image Visualizer program helps to improve studentsâ behavioral attitude.
At Excel, we strive to ensure that each and every student is developed in such a way that they can excel wherever they go in life. Through our focus on attitude development, we aim to help our students become confident, well-rounded individuals with a positive outlook on life.
Art education means different things to different people, but the crux of it, is that it imparts knowledge and education in various fields of the arts like music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Society functions in such a way now, that a majority of the manual and technical jobs that were done by people before, can be done by machines. The main demand lies in innovation and creativity, thinking outside the box and having good interpersonal skills.
Just like mathematics or science, art requires regular practice and is not something that can be achieved through sporadic learning. Regular engagement and education in the arts has to be imbibed in the school curriculum for it to have an effect on the students.
Our experienced and qualified music teachers provide instruction in a variety of instruments, including piano, guitar, and drums. In addition to traditional instrument lessons, we also offer vocal coaching and instruction in music theory and composition. These lessons are available to students of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced musicians.
Our music program is designed to provide students with a well-rounded education in the arts. We believe that music education can enhance studentsâ creativity, self-expression, and cognitive development.
We believe that music education is an integral part of a complete and well-rounded education. We are committed to providing our students with the best music instruction and opportunities to explore and grow their musical talents.
New research in the fields of psychology, education and neuroscience shows teaching meditation in schools is having positive effects on studentsâ well-being, social skills and academic skills.
A recent meta-review of the impact of meditation in schools combined the results from 15 studies and almost 1800 students from Australia, Canada, India, the UK, the US and Taiwan. The research showed meditation is beneficial in most cases and led to three broad outcomes for students: higher well-being, better social skills and greater academic skills.
Students who were taught meditation at school reported higher optimism, more positive emotions, stronger self-identity, greater self-acceptance and took better care of their health as well as experiencing reduced anxiety, stress and depression. This was compared to before the meditation programs and compared to peers who were not taught meditation.


CAMBODIAâS IDENTITY AND CULTURE BROUGHT TO LIFE THROUGH UNIQUE ART SCHOOL
Cambodiaâs Phare Ponleu Sepak has leveraged art and culture to become a model of inclusive education in Southeast Asia.
Phare Ponleu Sepak â meaning âThe Brightness of the Artsâ in Khmer â has changed the lives of underprivileged children and communities in Cambodia. The countryâs non-profit art school, located in Battambang, West of Cambodia, provides thousands of children with artistic, educational and social support. Phare Ponleu Sepak is now considered a model solution for bringing together communities with social needs, education and tourism. The non-profit art school is also helping to put the city of Battambang, the second largest city in the Kingdom, on the global tourism map
ITB News speaks to Xavier Gobin, head of Phare Ponleu Selpak France, about the aims and objectives of one of Southeast Asiaâs most successful art educational programmes.
How did Phare Ponleu Sepak come to life?
Phare Ponleu Sepak goes back to the refugees camps for Cambodians in Thailand in the eighties. At that time, a French humanitarian, VÃ©ronique Decrop, started to develop a form of art therapy for refugee children, with drawing and painting classes. A few years later, in 1994, with some of her students she created an art school in Battambang. We then expanded the school activities to cover basic education but also all forms of arts. Music education was added in 1997, circus training in 1998. Our education activities go from kindergarden, primary school to our schools for visual and applied arts.
What are Phare Ponleu Sepakâs biggest achievements to date?
We educate and take care of around 1,600 children and youth who are able to develop their skills through art. We see art as a way of rebuilding a Cambodian identity and culture and allowing these kids to thrive. All of the Performing Arts classes are free. It also has a strong impact on social development in Battambang and the surrounding areas as it helps some 800 families in dire need. We are already one of the largest employers in Battambang and a leading company in the arts in Cambodia.
What kind of occupation can these children hope for after graduating?
Many of them will turn into moviemakers, working in the film industry or become graphic designers. In fact, we supply communication agencies with many of our students, as well as the tourism industry, to design and create content for hotels for example.
Could you tell us more about Phare Ponleu Sepak Circus?
Phare Ponleu Sepak Circus is the most spectacular and visible part of our NGO, especially for tourists. We provide circus training to 120 artists and technicians. Visitors can come to see our show on our Battambang campus, as well as in Siem Reap near Angkor Wat. Our programme has been voted the best tourism activity in Battambang by TripAdvisor. We also participate in MICE or special events with our teams. Phare Ponleu Sepak Circus has already toured the world and even worked with Cirque du Soleil.
What projects are there in the pipeline?
We want to develop a large comprehensive campus including a museum which will tell our story to visitors. We hope that this will become a reality by 2025.
Cambodia looks at extending the stay of international travellers
Phare Ponleu Sepak in Battambang is an opportunity for Cambodia to extend the stay of international travellers in the country. The Kingdom wants to see tourists taking on average a 10-day holiday in Cambodia. A new digital marketing tourism campaign is looking to attract foreign travellers and convince them to stake their entire holiday in the Kingdom. âCambodia is still not seen as a stand-alone destination and is always sold as an extension to its neighbours,â explains Europe representative for the ministry of tourism, Jacques Guichandut. âHowever, it has culture, a vibrant capital, pristine islands and beaches and eco-tourism. It is time to change that vision.â
The digital campaign, called âEvery day is a wonderâ, is initially targeting targets Northern European markets (including Scandinavia and the UK) as well as France through a dedicated website âWonders of Cambodia.â


QuaverMusic is a comprehensive, fully digital K through 8 music curriculum. Engaging lessons and resources bring music education to life.
Try it today with a free 30-day preview!
QuaverMusic curriculum is aligned with National Core Arts Standards and supports various pedagogies including Orff, KodÃ¡ly, and M.L.T.
Teachers can access ready-to-use lessons and follow a yearly lesson plan of 36 weeks of lessons per grade. They can also search lessons by theme and musical style.
View scope and sequence for K-5 and 6-8.
QuaverMusic is more than a curriculum. We offer musicals, choral resources, and specific instrument lessons such as recorder and ukulele. We also provide teacher resources such as quizzes, a custom curriculum builder, and a grade book.
QuaverMusic believes music is deeply ingrained in all humans and all cultures. A curriculum is far more powerful when our users can see themselves reflected inside. Making Music Worldwide introduces students to music from other cultures, languages, and backgrounds.
Students become creative composers and producers with virtual instruments and easy-to-use composition tools. With individual accounts, students can access these tools with any web browser, on any device.
Find more than 700 traditional, folk, world, classical, and original songs in ClassPlay, our interactive song resource library. Teachers can easily incorporate movement activities, SolfÃ¨ge, instruments, and more into their classrooms.
QuaverEd combines music and accessible modern technology to provide one of the most powerful tools in the classroom.
QuaverMusic is currently taught in over 15,000 schools worldwide, engaging nearly four million students in music education.


Koss, Melanie D.
B.S.Ed. (Bachelor of Science in Education)
Department of Literacy and Elementary Education
Learning literature is not just about reading and writing, but about how knowledge is learned and put to use. Learning should be interactive rather than sedentary. Through collaboration, independent ideas, and research, I have put together a unit on emphasizing literary elements using folk and fairy tales as a medium. The lessons are full of interactive activities that will transfer knowledge to students in more ways than just filling out worksheets and doing homework. Not only literature will be taught, but teamwork and collaboration. Because diversity is also important to teach, I have included cultural aspects in my lessons as well. Through this unit, students will gain exposure to different types of literature and different cultures. They will see folk and fairy tales as something more than just a bedtime story.
Dudlo, Adrienne N., "Once upon a time : a folktale and fairy tale unit for 4th and 5th graders" (2008). Honors Capstones. 850.
26 pages, 25 unnumbered pages
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.


Learning is a continuous foundation to progress, particularly for career-oriented students seeking to improve on both a social and professional scale. However, many of us struggle to incorporate new tasks into our extremely busy and restrictive routines. The alternative is to opt for online learning. Students who wish to pursue a career in the music industry besides being committed to other professions often choose to study online. London school of music offers diverse courses in music which are both provided in online as well as offline mode. Both forms of imparting knowledge have pros and cons. Here in this article, we have specified some disadvantages of learning music online:
- Online learning can lead to social isolation: Everyone tries to learn in their unique way. Some students can work individually, while others feel contentment in their college environment, where they have immediate access to lecturers and fellow classmates. The excellent thing is that interactive computer music education platforms have been attempting to bridge such gaps by building a sense of community in the virtual environment through the development of a set of technologies that enable students to actively engage in multiple sessions. To mirror the efficiency of traditional courses, digital learning must complement the social aspects of learning.
- Online learning requires self-discipline: Continuing from the previous point, being a member of a community, and practically attending sessions promote reliability. If a person does not believe they are receiving adequate instruction, they may lack the self-discipline to be actively involved in the courses. Switching to digital, real-time classes rather than merely online courses increases responsibility. Live tests, for example, assist check learning instantaneously, while breakout areas stimulate group participation. These technologies promote accountability while also keeping students interested.
- Faculty requires advanced training for online courses: To develop an effective online music course, online learning necessitates an extended training process and more work on the part of educators. Instructors must get a thorough grasp of the various methods of classroom instruction in order to avoid just reproducing the physical classroom experience and missing out on all of the additional benefits and techniques that eLearning and hybrid education have to offer.
- Technical Issues: The fundamental drawbacks of online learning revolve around technical issues. Nothing ruins an online lecture more than problems with audio, screen, or connectivity. In the past, students were frequently compelled to install or download time-consuming programs or technologies that resulted in an uneven performance. Fortunately, online lessons may now be accessible by just clicking a link without the obligation to install the software. Internet connectivity has significantly boosted over the entire globe. Likewise, devices used by the common masses have improved exponentially.
- Extended screen-time: Itâs almost unavoidable in todayâs world as we spend an alarming period of time in front of devices. Unfortunately, online learning adds to this dilemma. Prolonged screen time can cause a variety of physical problems, such as bad posture and headaches. However, it can also be a genuine problem for students who have difficulty learning from or concentrating on displays. Particularly, when the internet is designed to divert studentsâ attention away from the studying content with social networking sites. The best online learning systems and applications available provide a variety of tools and functionality to assist students in being focused and engaged.
There are both benefits and drawbacks to pursuing online music courses, music lessons in Northvale, New Jersey . However, as technical skills have advanced and many of the key concerns of students attending online courses have been resolved, the benefits of online classrooms are beginning to outweigh the drawbacks.


No one starts teaching your child before you do. In the years Iâve spent teaching voice lessons in Washington, DC, Iâve always observed the impact of a parentâs presence in their childâs music education. Whether itâs math, reading, manners, or music, your children learn from you earlier than they do their teachers. Even if youâve never touched an instrument, this can be a beneficial thing. The most important thing parents can do to prepare their children for music lessons is to be supportive, but not forceful. This can be a difficult balance to strike, so here are a few examples of what this support can look like.
Listen To Music With Your Child
This is number one for a reason. Even if there seems to be no educational component involved, listening to music is the first step to learning it. Encourage singing, clapping, and dancing to whatever music they like, and use it as an opportunity to expose them to some of the music you like. Do it now, before theyâre teenagers!
Consider A Group Music Class
Even if your child is too young to begin private lessons with voice teachers in Washington, DC, there is no shortage of classes for groups of young children that begin to expose groups of children to music. Even if itâs not specifically a music class, you can find day care programs that play music for children. This is both exposure to music and socialization, both of which are important for any developing music student.
Find A Good Music Teacher
Notice I didnât say voice teacher. Initially, a positive relationship with a teacher is more important than any specific elements of a voice lesson. No six year old is going to be learning operatic arias, so itâs better to begin their study with a teacher that can reinforce a love of music, along with a desire to learn more about it.
At this point in a childâs music education, familiarity with music is more of a goal than developing repertoire or even specific skills. If your child is getting exposed to music for 30 minutes a week and enjoying it, itâs better than spending 30 minutes a week on exercises and hating it. Positivity is key at this stage.
Avoid Performance Pressure
If your child loves to sing in front of other people, by all means encourage it, but donât pressure a shy child to perform. If they are reluctant to sing in front of a large group of family members at the holidays, maybe have a grandparent approach them one on one and ask for a private concert. The key is to avoid associating performance with anxiety.
Show Curiosity In Your Childâs Progress
Itâs much better to ask questions about what your child is learning than it is to demand a demonstration. Children are especially excited when they can tell their parents information that the parents do not know, so encourage this excitement in knowledge by asking questions and expressing surprise at the answer. âI canât believe youâve learned that much already!â Show interest in what they do, as well. Sing with them, practice songs together, and help them find their vocal range.
Create A Musical Culture At Home
This is a somewhat complicated task, but it can be accomplished with a lot of little things. If a chore takes X number of minutes, find a song of the same length and say âOk, we need to clean while we listen to this one song, then weâre done.â Try to listen to one new song a day. There are a lot of things music has to compete with these days â TV, video games, YouTube, but it has an advantage in that songs remain fairly short.
Emphasize Music In Places Where It Isnât the Focal Point.
Ask your child to remember the titles of songs from their favorite movies, or ask if they can sing the melody of the theme song of a TV show. Music is all around us in the modern world, but all too often it gets forced into the background. Ask them to bring it to the forefront!
I hope this article gives you an idea about the best ways to prepare children for voice lessons. Like many elements of parenting and education, it requires finesse, but will yield fantastic benefits. Whether your child is an aspiring singer or another kind of musician, being a supportive and interested parent is immensely helpful when it comes to developing both skills and passion.
All of our tutors at Lessons In Your Home are thoroughly screened. Our teachers will come right to your home for every lesson, plus we offer virtual music lessons, too. Our online music lessons are being taught by local music teachers with live lessons tailored to your child! Contact us today to learn more.


LÃ¡zlÃ³ Moholy-Nagy was a Hungarian painter, photographer, philosopher, and influential art educator. He experimented with many different techniques and materials, and is known in particular for his innovative photograms and photomontages.
After serving in the Austro-Hungarian army in World War I, Moholy-Nagy began taking art classes, studying painters such as Rembrandt, CÃ©zanne and van Gough. He was also drawn to the more abstract styles of Cubist painters, which influenced his own avant-garde pieces. In 1920 Moholy-Nagy moved to Berlin and began creating abstract paintings and work made out of industrial materials. It was during this time that he started to experiment with placing objects on photosensitive paper to create photograms.
As he embarked on his career as an artist, Moholy-Nagy was heavily impacted by the Constructivism art movementâs philosophy: art is a practice aimed at creating social change and improvement. He was able to implement these ideals as a teacher at Germanyâs innovative Bauhaus school of architecture, art and design, where he taught from 1923-1928. It was there that photography became an increasingly important focus, and Moholy-Nagy coined the term âNew Visionâ to describe his theory that photography could capture reality in a way that the naked eye could not. After leaving his position at the Bauhaus, Moholy-Nagy was very active, making money as a free-lance designer and creating some of his best- known photographs. He tested methods of capturing light, shot several short films, and developed deeper conceptual ideas behind his work.
In 1937 Moholy-Nagy was invited to be the director of the New Bauhaus: American School of Design in Chicago. There he was able to continue his own artistic practices in a variety of mediums, while educating students in art and design and providing them with the skills needed to make a positive contribution to society. He continued to explore new materials and technologies until he died of leukemia in 1946 at the age of 51. Throughout his life he published a number of books outlining his philosophy of ânew visionâ photography and his methods of art education. These texts along with his many artworks maintain his important legacy in the art and design industry.


In this article, written by an individual with advanced knowledge in storytelling and narrative skills in early childhood, we delve into the importance of narrative language skills in young children. Narrative language refers to the ability to understand and produce coherent stories and narratives, which play a significant role in children's cognitive, linguistic, and social development. Understanding how to support and nurture narrative language skills can greatly benefit children's overall communication and literacy abilities.
The Significance of Narrative Language Skills:
Cognitive Development: Explain how narrative language skills contribute to children's cognitive abilities, including memory, attention, sequencing, and problem-solving, as they engage with and comprehend stories.
Language Acquisition: Highlight the role of narrative language skills in language development, vocabulary expansion, grammar acquisition, and comprehension of complex linguistic structures.
Building Blocks of Narrative Language Skills:
Story Comprehension: Discuss the importance of fostering children's understanding of story elements, such as characters, setting, plot, and story structure, through exposure to diverse narratives.
Storytelling and Retelling: Explore the benefits of encouraging children to tell and retell stories, promoting their narrative expression, sequencing skills, and comprehension abilities.
Strategies to Enhance Narrative Language Skills:
Storytelling Prompts: Provide examples of prompts and activities that stimulate children's storytelling abilities, encouraging them to create and share their own narratives.
Visual Aids and Storytelling Props: Discuss the value of using visual aids, props, and story cards to support children's narrative language skills, assisting in story organization and enhancing comprehension.
Supporting Narrative Language Skills in Everyday Interactions:
Conversational Techniques: Highlight the importance of engaging in rich and meaningful conversations with children, modeling narrative language structures and asking open-ended questions that encourage storytelling.
Storytelling Play and Imaginative Activities: Explore the benefits of incorporating storytelling play and imaginative activities into everyday routines, fostering children's narrative language skills through dramatic play and role-acting.
Promoting Literacy Development through Narrative Language:
Shared Reading: Emphasize the connection between narrative language skills and literacy development, suggesting strategies such as interactive read-alouds, predicting story outcomes, and discussing story elements during shared reading experiences.
Writing and Story Creation: Discuss the role of narrative language skills in early writing development, encouraging children to engage in writing activities, such as dictating their stories or creating simple narratives using drawings and labels.
Nurturing narrative language skills in young children is crucial for their cognitive, linguistic, and social development. This article, written by an individual with advanced knowledge in storytelling and narrative skills in early childhood, underscores the significance of supporting children's narrative language abilities through story comprehension, storytelling prompts, and interactive conversations. By providing engaging opportunities for children to express themselves through narratives, incorporating visual aids and props, and integrating storytelling into daily interactions, we can foster their narrative language skills, enhance their communication abilities, and lay a solid foundation for their future literacy development.


Our Primary program is a five day a week program for children ages 3 to 6 years. Primary is designed as a three year program culminating in the kindergarten year. The Montessori Primary classroom is a specially prepared environment where children are given sequenced one-on-one and group lessons in the traditional Montessori curriculum areas: grace and courtesy, practical life, sensorial development, language, mathematics, cultural studies (including geography, botany, and zoology, science, art, music) and Spanish instruction. Once the materials have been presented, children are free to choose work independently during the daily three hour work cycle. The environment is designed to be peaceful, organized, and full of beautiful materials and items such as real plants, flowers, and art for the children to experience with all of their senses.
In the Primary classroom children work on foundational skills in reading, writing, mathematics, problem solving, and emotional regulation. The teachers carefully observe the interests, skills, and needs of each child and guide the children along individualized learning paths. After three years in Primary our students are confident learners who have experienced joy through being able to freely explore and make choices at school. They know how to be responsible and caring members of a diverse community and are primed for their next developmental phase.
Children prepare their own snacks in the food preparation area and eat lunch as a community. During these daily rituals they practice essential skills such as preparing a place setting, carrying a glass of water carefully, and cleaning up after themselves. Daily group gatherings are times for sharing books, songs, movement, and special community celebrations such as Montessori birthday walks and explorations of holidays and cultural traditions. During rest time, first and second year children rest after an active morning while kindergartners resume their work. Daily outdoor time on the playground and walks around the neighborhood allow the children to exercise their bodies and work on social skills as they learn to play together and be kind and respectful community members.
âNever help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.â
â Dr. Maria Montessori


Ongoing Research Projects
Preschool numeracy is a crucial foundation for STEM learning and long-term academic success. Previous research suggests that the development of strong numeracy skills depends on a combination of perceptual, cognitive, and language skills. However, most past studies have focused on a relatively small and homogeneous groups of children in US urban areas. As a result, current understanding of early numeracy may not
generalize to diverse groups of learners. It is likely that home language background, socio-economic status, and geographic and cross-cultural differences could also influence numeracy development. To address this, and to probe what factors drive early numeracy in a representative sample, this first-of-its-kind project investigates how toddlers and preschool-aged children perceive, reason, and talk about numbers in a massive multi-lab collaboration involving over 130 research sites worldwide.
To investigate early numeracy, this collaborative project includes two foundational studies. The first study focuses on how 2- to 5-year-old children perceive quantity, learn number words, and how to accurately count groups of objects. The study examines variability in how children learn about number and quantity while exploring the underlying perceptual, cognitive and linguistic mechanisms that drive their learning. The second foundational study focuses on toddler?s abilities to keep track of small groups of objects, which researchers have argued may play an especially important role in early numerical learning. This study examines variability across larger and more diverse groups of participants than previously studied. The study also asks whether limits to children?s object tracking abilities change when they begin to learn number words. In addition to these foundational studies, the project supports the creation of multiple exploratory studies, allowing for novel, ground-breaking collaborations between researchers worldwide. These exploratory studies examine how numerical abilities are related to diverse phenomena including but not limited to social cognition, linguistic diversity, cognitive abilities like executive function, and cross-cultural differences in mathematics education and attitudes. Collectively, these studies will test over 3000 children in 28 US states and 27 countries, using a combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal behavioral assessments. Final data will be shared with the broader scientific community, and will be presented on a website in simplified form to make findings accessible to the broader public.
This project is funded by the EHR Core Research (ECR) program, which supports work that advances fundamental research on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development.
The aims of this project as follows:
â¢ to determine pre-service mathematics teachers' knowledge and understanding of probability concepts
â¢ to observe their readiness for teaching probability
â¢ to improve their probability teaching skills by using the framework of statistics teaching through data research and digital simulations.
The aims of this project as follows:
â¢ to investigate the effects of these meetings on students' interests and attitudes towards STEM fields,
â¢ to explore the similarities and differences between the views of stakeholders (i.e. students, teachers, and scientists) about the attainment of science communication experience
â¢ to examine the number, focus, and quality of student questions before and during these meetings.
-develop a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) to assess elementary school students' mathematical abilities at the end of their elementary school years
-investigate the effect of selecting the first set of items according to studentsâ state test anxiety levels in CAT applications
â to set up a multidisciplinary Virtual Reality Laboratory at BoÄaziÃ§i
â to conduct basic research on visuo-motor coordination, avatar
representation, body ownership and body-schema in order to have
a better understanding of the brain in action.
â to investigate the ways in which multimodal data can be used for
studying self-regulated learning and explore new ways in which we
can apply VR technologies into the field of education in order to
improve preservice teachersâ (and studentsâ) learning.


The whole language approach to teaching reading has been devastating for students
Reading is the most important skill taught in school. If students donât learn how to read, not much else that happens there is going to matter.
Thatâs because being able to read is essential in virtually every job. Without the ability to read, life itself will be a struggle.
However, reading does not come naturally to most students. It must be deliberately taught. This means we must ensure that it is taught properly.
Unfortunately, reading instruction has become highly politicized. Broadly speaking, there are two opposing sides. One side focuses on teaching students how to sound out individual letters and words (phonics), while the other side encourages students to guess the meaning of words based on their context (whole language).
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So-called balanced literacy claims to incorporate elements of both phonics and whole language. However, it is considerably skewed towards the whole language side, particularly since balanced literacy incorporates the âthree cueingâ system, which encourages students to use various contextual clues to decipher the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Like other provinces, balanced literacy and the corresponding three cueing approach is dominant in Manitoba. While the new (2020) English Language Arts curriculum framework doesnât directly mention either phonics or whole language, the frameworkâs repeated emphasis on students creating their own meaning from what they read makes the documentâs underlying philosophy quite obvious.
Importantly, this topic has caught the attention of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission. The commission is investigating how reading is taught in Manitoba and plans to issue a final report in 2024. If what recently happened in Ontario is any indication, that report is going to be very interesting indeed.
Earlier this year, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released its âRight to Readâ report. The report painted a damning picture of Ontarioâs approach to literacy in public schools. According to the report, the three cueing system is not supported by the science of reading. In fact, it goes directly against the empirical evidence.
The report notes that to become proficient readers, most students need focused and structured lessons in phonics. They need to learn how to sound out individual letters and then use this skill to pronounce individual words. In short, students need more phonics instruction and less whole language ideology.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the OHRC report is that the evidence cited in it has been hiding in plain sight for decades. Back in the 1960s, Dr. Jeanne Chall, the former director of the Harvard Reading Laboratory, conducted extensive research into various strategies for teaching reading. She found that the evidence overwhelmingly shows that students need to learn phonics in a structured and systematic way.
However, Challâs findings went against the ideological predispositions of the many progressive educators in faculties of education. These progressives, who dominated teacher training institutions, were attracted to Dr. Ken Goodmanâs whole language approach. This meant that the whole language approach continued to rule the day.
The longstanding dominance of whole language in education faculties has been devastating for students, particularly those with learning disabilities. This is a human rights issue that must be addressed.
All students deserve to become proficient readers. Itâs not too much to ask that teachers use evidence-based methods when helping students learn how to read.
Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
For interview requests, click here.
Â© Troy Media
Troy Media is an editorial content provider to media outlets and its own hosted community news outlets across Canada.


Our Early Music Education Toddler class (for students 18 months-3 years old) focusses on game-based learning and group-play, with one parent/guardian attending each class with their child.
Students are taught to play and recognize high and low sounds, soft and loud sounds, short and long sounds on the xylophone, piano, and various percussion instruments.
Basic note-reading (using solfege) and rhythm reading (quarter notes, and eighth notes) are gradually introduced as well as singing and maintaining a steady tempo in 3/4 and 4/4 time.
Our goal is to help your child develop fine motor skills at various instruments, while fostering a love for music through singing, dancing, and group play instruction, with possible opportunities for two performances in May (at the ensemble recital) and June (at the year-end recital).
We will also feature various instrument demonstrations throughout the year to introduce children to the many musical instruments of both the classical orchestra and the modern rock/pop genre.


Many people believe that âmusicians are born and not madeâ, but this couldnât be further from the truth! In the first two years of learning, it is almost impossible to guess who will excel, but everyone agrees that parents who are actively involved in their childâs music education are crucial to success.
We are often asked how parents can be more involved in their childâs education beyond checking âhave you practiced?â. Whether you have any musical experience or not, here are some fun, practical ways to help you nurture your budding musician, that wonât take up much of your time.
Experience music together
One of the easiest ways to be more involved is to make music a shared experience. By sharing music together, you can explore different musical tastes and connect with your child:
- Attend live performances together â any kind of music from kids shows to the symphony and anything in between!
- Make music a part of the family â listen to it at home doing housework and in the car.
- Have âactive listeningâ sessions â ask your child to pick some music take some quiet time to actively focus on the music and talk about it afterward.
- Encourage your child to talk about music â what instruments they heard, what they did or didnât like, what emotions they felt, what styles of music they like. Talk about how enriching music is.
Set fun practice tasks and rewards
Think of yourself as the fun, positive coach cheering them on outside of lessons! Set up activities that arenât directly linked to their lessons or include games and rewards for practice tasks they may be struggling with:
- If you sing or play an instrument, itâs always fun to play a duet together
- Have a family concert (or a video concert with family and friends!)
- Record some music to share
- Sit with them during practice and use apps and rewards to make it fun (check out our teachers favourite Practice Apps & Tips)
- Ask your child to teach you a little melody
Encourage communication and honesty
Itâs important to have open and honest communication with your child about their musical education.
- Sit and listen to what theyâre practising and ask questions about what theyâre working on â what do they find challenging? What do they like or dislike about it?
- Ask them how they think theyâre doing in their lessons and practice â is it enjoyable? Are there any areas of their education theyâre concerned about?
- Talk to them what they think is their musical future is â is it a career path? Serious hobby? Or an appreciation?
- If your child feels they are struggling, ask how you can help â do they need help setting up a practice schedule?
Studies show that children with parents who provide lots of encouragement and praise are best placed to succeed in their musical education â whether they become professional musicians or develop a life-long love of music and enjoyment from their instrument.
At Inner West Institute of Music we are here to support all our students and parents, so if youâd like more information, please email us email@example.com.


Our First Grade Team: Ms. Natalie Sloboth, Ms. Noelle Haskell, Ms. Desma Trescott
Welcome to 1st Grade!
We are so excited to welcome you and your child to 1st Grade! Teaching 1st Grade is so much fun because we get to see such incredible growth and development in students' learning and abilities throughout the school year. The year will be jam packed with loads of new learning and continued development of Kindergarten skills; it will be busy but it will be so fun!
In 1st Grade we will cover the following instructional areas: Phonics, Literacy (including Writing), Math, Social Studies, Science and SEL. Below we have listed out the main academic standards and areas that we will be covering all year long and the curriculum programs we use in our classrooms. If you are ever looking for more detailed information on standards for 1st Grade in Colorado, you can always visit the CDE website: Office of Standards and Instructional Support | CDE.
We will use the Fundations curriculum program to teach phonics this year. As we progress through the year, we will keep you updated on what units and topics we are currently working on. Generally, each unit will focus around the following skill sets and will build upon the foundational skills your child learned in Kindergarten:
Recognize the name, identify the sound, and write, all uppercase and lowercase letters, including vowels, as well as consonant digraphs, blends, and vowel teams.
Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.
Read and spell the first 100 high-frequency words, including irregular words. We refer to these as âTrick Words.â Additionally, read and spell words with a variety of spelling patterns including, CVC, CCVC, CVCe and compound words as well as words with various suffixes (-s, -es, -ed, -ing).
Use correct spelling conventions such as punctuation, capitalization and spaces between words.
At the start of each new unit in Fundations, we will send home a newsletter detailing what specific topics we will be covering over the course of that unit.
We will use the Bridges math curriculum to teach math this year. In our monthly 1st Grade newsletters we will include details about what specific topics we are focusing on that month. In first grade our major learning will focus around addition and subtraction, place value, and shapes. Within that students will do the following throughout the year:
Add and subtract with numbers up to 20, including solving story problems. We will use drawings, words, numbers, and mental math to solve those problems.
Count to 120 and learn about place value (ones, tens, hundreds).
Identify, sort, and draw shapes.
Fit shapes together to make other shapes, solve puzzles, and talk about fractions.
Practice basic measurement and compare length and size of objects.
Tell and write time to the hour and half-hour.
We will use HMH Into Reading curriculum for our literacy instruction this year. This is a new program that we started using last year for the first time and we will continue to use it throughout this year. HMH is the same curriculum we use for writing and that instruction is included in our daily literacy block. We will include what unit and skills we are working on in HMH each month in our monthly newsletter as well. Our literacy instruction will address the following skill sets this year:
Communicate using verbal and nonverbal language to express and receive information and use multiple strategies to develop and expand oral communication.
Apply foundational reading strategies to fluently read and comprehend literary texts and informational texts.
Write a variety of pieces including opinion writing, informative/explanatory writing, and narrative writing with a clearly stated topic, related details, and a sense of closure.
Use appropriate grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Participate in shared research and inquiry projects, writing, recalling, or gathering information to answer questions.
If you ever have any questions or would like further information regarding your childâs learning throughout the year, please contact your childâs teacher directly. As we mentioned above, our monthly newsletter will always include details about our current learning so that you know what exactly your kiddo is learning as the year goes on.
The 1st Grade team is so excited for an incredible year ahead and we cannot wait to see what amazing things your 1st Grader accomplishes this year!
The 1st Grade Team
Noelle Haskell, Natalie Sloboth, Desma Trescott


Language Arts Program
The Windward Schoolâs Language Arts Program is the cornerstone of the curriculum and is distinctive in providing students with three, 42-minute periods of language arts instruction daily. These periods include oral language, reading, spelling, and writing.
The Windward School uses the PAF Program for reading and spelling, a multi sensory Orton-Gillingham-based program
Reading and writing are taught with a strong emphasis on language competence, skill development, and cognitive strategy. The language arts program is based on the latest research as validated by the National Reading Panel, the largest and most comprehensive research study to date on reading. This evidence-based research supports the curriculum, which includes instruction in phonemic awareness, accuracy, fluency, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension.
For beginning readers of any age at The Windward School, reading instruction includes an Orton-Gillingham based program, PAF, by Phyllis Bertin and Eileen Perlman. When Windward students complete this beginning sequence, decoding instruction is continued through The Windward Reading Program with advanced work in multi-syllable words, spelling patterns, and a study of Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Students then begin to read trade books and other high interest reading materials in a curriculum carefully designed to match the studentsâ decoding levels and language needs. Such materials are also chosen to foster an awareness of cultural diversity and to broaden the studentsâ knowledge of the world around them. The Windward Reading Program integrates reading, spelling, and handwriting into cohesive and carefully sequenced lessons. Improving word knowledge, expanding background knowledge, and developing comprehension strategies are emphasized in all lessons.
A strong emphasis is placed upon developing vocabulary, word retrieval skills, and grammar competence in order to promote accurate comprehension as well as receptive and expressive language abilities. The teachers collaborate with language arts coordinators and language pathologists to facilitate student reading comprehension of content across multiple genres. Teachers use a variety of organizational language strategies to help students summarize, paraphrase, store, and recall important information in both oral and written activities.
The Windward Expository Writing Program reinforces fundamental reading competencies and promotes clear and effective written and oral communication. The writing program enables students to express themselves accurately in written form by teaching students to write clear, linguistically complex sentences and well-organized paragraphs and compositions. The strategies and activities for writing sentences, paragraphs, and compositions are applied systematically during structured writing time and integrated into the instruction of all content areas. Skills taught through the writing program are supported by Writing Next and Writing to Read, which summarized the results of a large-scale statistical review of writing research.
The reading, writing, and library programs lay the foundation for the more formal study skills class that is part of the eighth- and ninth-grade curricula. While study skills course of study is scheduled for all eighth and ninth grade students, the foundational skills for the program begin in third grade. The study skills taught include note taking, paraphrasing, summarizing, outlining, organizing assignments, library research, writing, and time management.


July 5, 2017 to September 27, 2023
- Category: AQ
- Region: GTA
- Topic: Arts
- Grades: Intermediate (grades 7-10), Senior (grades 11-12)
Part 1 â With a focus on the intermediate /senior level, this course begins to develop the strategies and skills necessary for the teaching of instrumental music including: knowledge of brass, woodwind, conducting, score-reading and transposition, lesson planning, examination of current resources, evaluation, program organization, and varied approaches to music learning. Creativity, critical thinking and problem solving are connected to The Ontario Learning Expectations through a series of workshops with guest artists.
Part 2 â This course continues to develop the skills and strategies necessary for the teaching of instrumental music. In addition to reinforcing the brass and woodwind strategies covered in Part 1, participants develop skills in teaching/playing different instruments. Strings, percussion, and guitar are also revisited in more depth. An emphasis is placed on score reading, conducting, reading, transposition, the identification and solving of musical problems in the rehearsal setting, as well as the development of lessons and units of study. Candidates are encouraged to investigate a variety of resources and repertoire suitable to the age and ability levels of their students in the local school setting.
Part 3 â Candidates examine the Music Curriculum holistically, and adapt it to various specific school settings from the instrumental music perspective. Research on how students learn is investigated. Readings from a variety of sources provide a methodological and philosophical foundation for developing a sound music education practice in the classroom. By the conclusion of the program, successful participants: demonstrate an understanding of music education as an important form of human expression, know Ministry of Education program guidelines and standards, select instructional strategies to suit the appropriate developmental stages of students, and design curriculum that enable students to meet both overall and specific learning expectations.
Music teachers are encouraged to become arts education leaders and advocates, both in the school and amongst members of the school community. Creativity, critical thinking and problem solving are connected to The Ontario Learning Expectations through a series of workshops with guest artists.
See website for additional information.
- Organizer: OISE/UT
- Cost: $685.00 per course. See website for details.
- Location: OISE/UTS
- Address: 371 Bloor St. West
- City: Toronto
- Province: Ontario
- Country: Canada
- Website: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/aq/
- Contact: OISE | Continuing & Professional Learning
- Phone: 416-978-2474 or 1-800-443-7612
- Fax: 416-926-4732
- Email: [email protected]


|Inclusive Curriculum Subscription||Price|
|All Curriculum for 3 month subscription||$40.00|
|All Curriculum for 6 month subscription||$60.00|
|All Curriculum for 12 month subscription||$110.00|
|Individual Curriculum Subscription||Price|
|Math Curriculum for 3 month subscription||$20.00|
|Language Arts Curriculum for 3 month subscription||$20.00|
|Science Curriculum for 3 month subscription||$20.00|
|Social Studies Curriculum for 3 month subscription||$20.00|
|Consumer Education Curriculum for 3 month subscription||$20.00|
i-Pathways offers an online, robust, and interactive curricula for a range of learners. Content in Language Arts Reading, Writing, Science, Social Studies, Math, and Consumer Education can be used to support home school instruction, provide students with afterschool or summer skill building, high school equivalency, or help with ASVAB or ACT preparation. The curricula address many of the College and Career Readiness Standards and can be used independently or with parent supervision.
Each content area can be used as a stand-alone piece. Individual content areas are succinct, meaningful, and relevant. Combined, there are hundreds of self-paced lessons designed to promote critical thinking and college or workplace readiness. Since everything is online, you can determine your own learning experience. The subscription model means you only need to pay for the content you want, creating an affordable and flexible resource. If you would like to use i-Pathways for multiple students and would prefer the entire range of teacher tracking tools, view the Programs page for license information.Scope & Sequence Sample Lessons
Content Areas Include
Preparing students for the written portion of the test, this module includes instruction in organization of ideas, language development, writing conventions, and patterns of development.
Reasoning Through Language Arts
Using an evidence-based reading approach, this module helps learners build skills in comprehension and vocabulary development through the use of research-based instructional strategies. Passages reflect a cross curricular approach by presenting a variety of complex text in both literary and non-fiction text.
Preparing students with the foundational skills in math, this module includes instruction in number sense and introductions to algebraic thinking.
Building foundational skills in mathematical reasoning and fluency in problem solving and procedural application, this module includes instruction in real and complex numbers, absolute values, computation and estimation with real numbers, exponents, radicals, ratios, proportions and percentages.
Addressing the standards of the National Research Council's Framework for K-12 Science Education, the major content areas in Science include life science, earth and space, and physical science.
Addressing the requirements for the National Standards for History, students develop the background knowledge and content area expertise to successfully complete the Social Studies exam.
Building strong financial literacy, the Consumer Education model covers topics such as finding a job, filling out wage forms, understanding taxes, resolving consumer complaints, and many more.
In addition to the curriculum, students have access to tools such as:
- Glossary of Key Terms
- Relevant Web Links
- Graphic Organizers
- Worksheets in Math and Writing
- Extended Response Worksheets


In his book Outliers, an acclaimed Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell wrote that success stories would not come to fruition until after ten years of consistent practice and study. Compared to other study branches, the notion seems to apply the closest to classical musicians, surgeons, chess players, and other professions that define mastery with repeatable actions. In other words, if your little one starts learning the piano at the age of seven and consistently practice, they will play advanced-level pieces by the age of 17.
I receive this question quite often from a lot of parents of my students, however, wrapped differently. After the first few lessons, their parents mistakenly expect their children to be able to play a song well. In musical education, practice is clearly the (public) secret ingredient to success. I discussed it before, where I reemphasised the importance of consistent practice to be successful in your musical training. Regardless of how many times you or your child invests years of musical capability, the next time your little one plays the next symphony confidently, it is going to sound a little bit better.
Scientifically speaking, learning music is not like a medicine trial. My team in Ensiklomusika Music School and I can't build curriculums that condense all topics and practices for your child to master under one private music lesson. According to the years of experience in musical education, mastering a musical instrument is not possible without collaboration with the students themselves. The students, parents, and educators have to collaborate to distinct a musical learning experience uniquely. And, the result of this will not happen overnight, it will occur years after or even 10 as Gladwell said above.
Now, I also once wrote that early exposure to music can greatly help your little one to excel in their both emotional and intellectual quotients (EQ and IQ). It is relevant to the topic as early musical experience early in life affects lifelong neuroplasticity onto your childâs brain, which is only enabled by consistent musical exposure and practice. Playing music influences our ability to more than processing melodies and rhythms; it can trigger broader cognitive and sensory changes.
It has been proven by many successful musicians, who have dedicated their lives to a concentrated, disciplined, and most importantly, consistent practice. However, they still believe they have not mastered the instrument itself. For them, and to all of us, repeatedly playing the same instrument daily offers an unlimited capacity for the musiciansâ surrounding growth environment. They will strive for improved techniques and better synchronization with their ensembles, and master their instrument a little bit better everyday. The interlink between musicianship and neuroplasticity will start to embolden over the years; violinists will have enlarged motor brain areas focused to hand movement, and more experienced musicians will make finer judgments on different instruments, timings, and pitches over the years.
What I mentioned above had been once proven in an observational study. In 2013, a group of researchers divided two groups of school-age students, in which one studied music theories and another received hands-on music lessons. After two years, the latter excelled better academically, where their brains leaped to maturity unexpectedly. Not only they were able to play a musical instrument by practice and doing, but their brains also responded to advanced skills of language processing and listening compared to the ones in the music theory class. The children here would have also been exposed to a holistic view of education. Consistent, early exposure to music education will sharpen your little onesâ socialisation skills and discipline. The intangible benefits of musical education are not proven in their report cards, but they will bring your child far in life and many have proven it so.
Now, if you ask me how long it takes to master a musical instrument, I can only pose a similar question to you; How much time are you and your child willing to invest in mastering one? Remember, with at least 20 minutes of practice every day, your little one will play that piano a little bit better each day! Imagine how amazing they will be in ten years!
Any questions for me? Ask away here!


When did we come to believe that expressing ourselves musically isnât for everyone?
When did you first believe, as so many do, that you canât sing?
Can you imagine learning music as a child, simply through play and fun?
Music educator, Dr. James Cuskelly, has taught music to people of all ages and levels, and does just that with his young students. He talks with great passion about the far-reaching benefits of a music education for everyone, from language acquisition and literacy to self-expression and the ability to think in a creative way and complete complex tasks. He speaks of the modern understanding of âtalentâ and what it means to be able to connect with, and give meaning to, sound. He also speaks of his experience of working with children right through their education from 3 to 18 years of age, and seeing the vast difference in those who were actively engaged in music.
Musical engagement (not only listening to it, but engaging with voice, movement etc), he suggests, allows us to become a âwhole personâ and to become practised at expressing ourselves. Feeling uncomfortable at the prospect? Thatâs ok too! James helps us to understand the importance and impact of even the simplest of âgamesâ.
My guess is, youâll want to go out and sing or dance once youâve heard this!


Learning Centralâs Pre-K curriculum is based on the PA Learning Standards
Pennsylvania Standards were developed as a joint project of the Department of Education and Welfare. They are meant to guide the development of kindergarten programs throughout the state. They are meant to maximize student learning by guiding teachers deliberate and intentional instructional practice, supporting effective classroom environments, and frame teacherâs age-appropriate expectations for their students.
Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood
â¢ Approaches to Learning Through Play
â¢ Constructing, Organizing and Applying Knowledge
â¢ Creative Thinking and Expression
â¢ Communicating Through the Arts
â¢ Cognitive Thinking and General Knowledge
â¢ Mathematical Thinking and Expression
â¢ Exploring, Processing and Problem Solving
â¢ Scientific Thinking and Technology
â¢ Exploring, Inquiry and Discovery
â¢ Social Studies Thinking
â¢ Connecting to Communities
â¢ Health, Wellness and Physical Development
â¢ Learning About My Body
â¢ Language and Literacy Development
â¢ Early Literacy Foundations, Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening
â¢ Partnerships for Learning
â¢ Families, Learning Environments and Communities
â¢ Social and Emotional Development
â¢ Learning About Myself and Others
The curriculum covers a wide range of areas, including language, math/ manipulative, science, physical activities/outdoor play, creative expression, music/movement, social interaction, concept development, and self help.
Practical Life: Pouring, various practice folding exercises, care of the classroom, feeding animals, watering plants, self care, dressing, washing, practice tying bows, buttons, helping others, development of concentration and physical exercises.
Language & Arts: Language work consists of reading, phonics, story telling conversation, vocabulary enrichment, and creative drama.
Music & Rhythm: Involves dance, movement and singing.
Art Expression/ Dramatic Play: Individual creativity combined with vocabulary enrichment, and sensorial experiences, use of imagination.
Geography: Continents, land and water forms, and more.
Mathematics: Eye/hand coordination with cylinder blocks, touch, boards, mathematical number rods, felt numerals, etc.
Foreign Language Exposure: Spanish, Sign Language and French.
Dramatic Play: Children get to explore their imagination through real life enactments such as dress up, kitchen play, etc.
Technology: Computers in each classroom for child use.
Teacher-child ratio 1:10.


Art Education, Scholastic and Industrial
First edition, 1872. 8vo, 398pp + (4) ads, including for drawing books by Osgood and Prangâs drawing models. Copious illustrations, including 7 color plates by Prang. A Good copy with soil and foxing to the plates. One of the plates has a repaired tear and is reattached in place with Japanese paper. Fraying to the cloth with shallow loss at the spine ends, hinges starting. 1874 signature plate of William Shaw Bowen, doctor turned âyellowâ journalist whose East Greenwich, RI mansion was featured on postcards, to the front pastedown. Contents unmarked. Collated complete.
Walter Smith was a successful English sculptor who promoted a rigid system of linear drawing that could be taught by a generalist teacher, avoiding the need for specially trained art teachers. His aim was to improve the quality of draftsmanship in the labor force which had become an increasingly important aspect of manufacturing and industry. He did not believe in a fundamental difference between âlight-headed art students, who frothily despise industry, and pine in garrets over some impossible idealâ and âmen who as sign-painters, wood-draughtsman, pattern designers for factories, or stone-carvers, passed through the useful vocation of industrial art to the highest attainments of fine art.â (Smith, p. 160)
The treatise was written by Smith upon his arrival in the United States to serve as Director of Drawing in the Boston public schools and Massachusetts State Director of Art Education, after legislation was passed to mandate drawing instruction as part of the school curriculum. In his position, Smith had an immense influence on the development of standards in American art education. Although The North American Review criticized the first six chapters as âsemi-literary, pseudo-philosophical attemptsâ at insight on themes in art and design, the remaining six garnered high praise âconstitute probably the most important treatise upon the special branch of education to which they relate that has yet appeared either in this country or in England.â
The book devotes a good deal of attention to the existing major art academies, their architectures and furnishings, which were accompanied by copious floor plans and drawings. Although those illustrations were criticized in the review for being âquite unintelligible,â the book also features 7 chromolithographs by Louis Prang. Prangâs interest in the publication came from his belief that contributing his chromolithographs to such publications was âa means to cultivate popular aesthetic taste and that the resulting higher standards would establish a market for more expensive reproductions and cards.â (Stankiewicz, 60). For the following decade, Prang would be involved in publishing Smithâs Textbooks of Art Education, though the relationship bittered over money and politics. A public feud between the two men, played out in the Boston Evening Transcript, resulted in Smithâs removal from Director of Drawing in 1881. In the following years, Prangâs power in educational publishing boomed and the revised editions of Textbooks of Art Education became far removed from Walter Smithâs original work that had been so highly praised.
[Review of Art Education, Scholastic and Industrial, by W. Smith]. (1873). The North American Review, 116(238), 189â194. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25109735
Stankiewicz, Mary Ann. âDrawing Book Wars.â Visual Arts Research 12, no. 2 (1986): 59â72. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20715628.


In this six week series on arranging, I aim to help break down arrangement to six simple elements that I hope you can apply to your productions. These blogposts are meant to be short, simple and easy to digest with an average reading time of five minutes or less for the average producer who has not had any formal music education.
Here are the topics that we are going to cover over the next 6 weeks:
1. What is Dynamics?
- To put it simply, dynamics means how loud or soft a piece of music is.
- In classical music, composers would use Italian terms to mark different dynamic levels.
- Terms such as piano (p) means to play a phrase / section, softly or forte (f) means to play loudly.
2. What does this mean in music arrangement?
- Dynamics is a form of expression and you can use it in various musical forms. You can plan out a dynamic structure for the length of your song or even dynamic structure for a specific instrument.
- Most pop / electronic music out there do not have much dynamics. That means, the loudest and softest part of the song are almost negligible. This is not ideal as your ears actually perceive music better when thereâs a certain level of dynamic activity. What is worth noting is that a more dynamic mix would sound better on streaming platforms.
- Dynamics help tell your musical story. The ebb and flow of a dynamic music piece aid with conveying emotions in a song.
3. Practical Applications
- Use dynamics to create tension and release. A typical example of dynamics is that you start your intro soft, slowly build dynamics through the verse, thus creating some tension, and release the loudest part of your song at the chorus. The larger the dynamic jumps between sections, the more of a dynamic range youâll have.
- Make your MIDI drums more realistic by programming actual dynamics into the playing. You can vary the velocity of your hi-hat patterns to emulate how an actual drummer would play, or even change the velocity settings on the snare drums from soft to loud between verse and chorus to create a dynamic shift.
Expand your music production toolkit with plugins on Rent-to-Own:
April 25, 2016


I can recognize and read the words "to," "you," and "it."
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
Students learn to master the sight words "to," "you," and "it."
Students will be able to recognize and read the words, "to," "you," and "it."
Students begin by reviewing uppercase and lowercase letters. Then, they will discuss sight words and explain that knowing sight words will make reading easier. Sight words are words that students can easily recognize in a story.
The lesson goes through the same process for each of the three sight words. First, the word is introduced and used in sentences. After that, students will look at and say the word. They will say the word, spell the letter, and read the word again. They will also tap out the words on their arms and air write the words. Students then practice identifying and writing the word. Complete the word by filling in the missing letters. Then students will do a couple of fun dragging activities that involve identifying these sight words.
Students are given 10 questions in which they are asked to listen to the speaker and rearrange the letters to spell the word they hear, determine which word has been said, and identify the speaker that says a given word.
Students will explain how being able to build and read sight words makes them a stronger reader. Ask students to spell the words. Finally, students will listen and drag the correct word to the box.
Save time building lessons
Manage the classroom more efficiently
Increase student engagement
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzyâs Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.


After years of planning and fund-raising, the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) launched the innovative STEM to THEM mobile lab. The bus will travel to 14 elementary schools across Monroe county, introducing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to pre-K-6th grade students. The Smithville Charitable Foundation donated $25,000 to the project.
The Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools (FMCCS) raised and spent about $375,000 for the vehicle and robotics and maker labs, according to FMCCS Executive Director Cyrilla Helm. Numerous other community sponsors contributed as well.
A long-time dream in the making, the bus will travel to all MCCSC elementary schools twice a year, remaining at each school for approximately one week in the fall and one in the spring. Debra Prenkert, MCCSC director of elementary education, said students would complete a computer science lesson and coding in the fall and study engineering in the spring.
Grades K-2 will use Bee-Bots to learn algorithms and problem-solving, grades 3-4 will use Dash Robots to learn block-based coding, and grades 5-6 will use Micro:bits to learn more advanced coding, Prenkert said. Each stage acts as a building block to the next, encouraging collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
The STEM mobile lab helps bridge economic divides, allowing MCCSC children in every school an equal opportunity to learn with resources not all schools can afford to purchase. Also, the STEM bus will provide STEAM resources to students in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
The bus comes equipped with a laser cutter, 3D printer, color-coded lab stations, whiteboard cabinets that students can write on, three TV monitors, and robots to assist the learning process. It also has a wheelchair lift, a TV monitor, and an awning outside the bus. If COVID-19 regulations remain in place through the fall, the outside TV monitor and awning will allow students to continue lessons outside.
âThis was a dream, and today itâs a reality,â MCCSC Superintendent Judy DeMuth said.


Music education is a journey that requires dedication and discipline. While learning a musical instrument can be incredibly rewarding, progress often hinges on one essential factor: regular practice. In this blog post, weâll explore why consistent practice is the linchpin of musical success and provide creative ideas on how to practice even when youâre not at home, at work, or on the go.
Why Consistent Practice Matters
Before we dive into practice strategies, letâs understand why regular practice is paramount in music education:
- Skill Development: Regular practice strengthens your muscle memory and technique, enabling you to play with more precision and fluency.
- Building Repertoire: Consistent practice helps you expand your repertoire and tackle more complex pieces over time.
- Musical Memory: Frequent practice reinforces your musical memory, making it easier to recall notes, rhythms, and phrasing during performances.
- Confidence: Knowing youâve put in the hours boosts your confidence when performing in front of others.
Now, letâs explore how you can maintain your practice routine in various situations:
Practice on the Go
- Mobile Apps: Download music education apps that offer exercises and tutorials tailored to your instrument. Use your smartphone or tablet to practice during your daily commute or while waiting for appointments.
- Portable Instruments: Consider investing in a travel-sized instrument or an electronic keyboard with headphones. Theyâre compact and ideal for practicing during trips.
Practice at Work
- Lunch Break Sessions: Utilize your lunch breaks for short practice sessions. Bring a practice pad or a small instrument to the office.
- Quiet Moments: Find quiet moments during the workday when you can mentally rehearse music, work on fingering, or practice rhythm tapping without your instrument.
Practice During Pauses
- Microsessions: Break your practice into microsessionsâshort bursts of focused practice. Utilize even a five-minute break between tasks to run through scales, arpeggios, or a challenging passage.
- Visualizations: Close your eyes and mentally practice. Imagine playing your instrument, focusing on finger movements and musical expression.
Incorporating regular practice into your daily routine, even in unconventional settings, can significantly enhance your musical journey. Remember, consistency is the key to progress in music education. Whether youâre at home, at work, or on the go, nurturing your musical skills through regular practice will lead to harmonious results.
So, keep that instrument handy, embrace the power of habit, and let your musical journey flourish through the magic of consistent practice.
- Beautiful little toddler girl playing piano in living room. Cute preschool child having fun with learning to play music instrument with learning concept during homeschooling corona virus lockdown.: Irina Schmidt / stock.adobe.com


Students learn to solve the division table of 8.
8,000 schools use Gynzy
92,000 teachers use Gynzy
1,600,000 students use Gynzy
The students learn to solve the division table of 8.
Students will be able to solve the division table of 8.
You ask students to volunteer to fill in the jumps of 8 that the frog takes on the sand piles. Next you practice the division table of 8 with the students on the whiteboard. You do this forwards and backwards.
First you discuss the importance of calculating division problems. Next you explain that in a division problem you have a certain amount of something in each group and that with the division table of 8 you divide by 8 each time. For this you show an example of 16 ice cubes, that you are going to divide evenly between 8 glasses. From here you can use the bar on the bottom right to navigate through the lesson (visual, abstract, story) to discuss the lesson in the way that best suits your learning goals. Otherwise you may continue following the pages in order and start by discussing the problems with visual support. Here you explain how you solve a division problem by telling how a division problem works with images of ice cubes that must be divided between 8 glasses; next you practice by dividing a number of lady bugs between 8 leaves. After this you show images and the students must come up with the problem that matches each image. Then you show an image and ask a student volunteer to divide the monkeys between the trees and the pencils between the 8 containers. After this you have the students solve division problems on their own through an image. Next you discuss the abstract problems. First you show what a division problem with 8 looks like when you divide up the number 8 evenly. Then you show division problems with 8. Next the students practice using what they've learned. After this you walk the students through the steps of solving a story problem. The students can click on the speaker to hear the story.
Check whether the students can solve division problems from the division table of 8 by asking them the following questions:
- What does the problem 16 Ã· 8 mean?
- Can you tell an example of a division problem?
The students test their understanding of the division table of 8 through ten exercises. For some of the exercises there is visual support provided, some are abstract division problems and other exercises are story problems from the division table of 8.
You have the students solve yet another problem with visual support, then an abstract problem and then they solve one more story problem. Finally you can play a ball game. A student names a problem from the division table of 8 and throws the ball to another student. The student who catches the ball says the answer and then another problem from the division table of 8, then passes the ball along to another student.
You can have the students solve division problems with concrete materials by having them divide them into 8 groups.
MAB blocks or other concrete materials for each pair of students.
Save time building lessons
Manage the classroom more efficiently
Increase student engagement
Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzyâs Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.