Back to basics?
While debate continues regarding the introduction of a national curriculum in Australian state schools, many homeschoolers are wondering how it could affect them. After all, many of us have rejected government-imposed education altogether and are unlikely to be enticed back into the school system by yet another government redesign of the curriculum.
The ability of human beings to record their knowledge and pass it on — through such arts as reading, writing, posting to Wikipedia or teaching from a curriculum — enables everyone to learn knowledge gained by previous scholars. Someone who is talented, committed and just a tad lucky might even be able to make their own contribution, adding their new discovery to the total body of knowledge.
The accumulated sum total of human knowledge is spectacular indeed.
It seems impossible to predict what a human being will need to know in their life. To make that prediction for all 6 year olds in the form of a school curriculum is even more ridiculous. Any amount of knowledge that can be imparted during the school years is such a miniscule portion of the grand total. Who could possibly say which bits will be required and by whom?
The rapid development of modern technology has exacerbated the problem. Phrases such as “professional development”, “career retraining” and “life-long learning” are now commonplace, as adults find themselves studying regularly throughout their working lives. Even the most pedestrian of jobs is likely to involve ongoing training over time.
This leaves those of us charged with the education of young people — whether in the school system or at home — in the unenviable position of preparing our nation’s future workforce, when the skills and knowledge they will need in years to come may not even have been invented yet.
Homeschooling parents’ approaches to the problem vary widely. Some of us follow a standard curriculum, but take advantage of the flexibility and efficiency of homeschooling. A study program can be finished more quickly, and fit around a schedule of other activities, allowing students to additionally learn about the world in other ways.
Others take a more traditional approach, providing an academic education that has been largely lost from schools today. English grammar and vocabulary, exemplary literature, classical languages (e.g. Greek and Latin), theoretical mathematics, natural sciences and classical music can form the basis of an old-fashioned curriculum, reminiscent of a system that produced literate adults, educated to a high standard, in substantially fewer years of compulsory schooling.
Yet another approach is to abandon the notion of a prescribed curriculum altogether, allowing children to explore and learn about the world around them in an interest-based and opportunistic fashion. Relying on children’s innate curiosity and drive to learn, these parents realise that the requisite literacy and numeracy skills, along with research, science, natural history and a host of other subjects, are learned by pursuing any given topic or subject matter to a reasonable depth.
What we all share is a recognition that children must “learn how to learn.” It almost doesn’t matter what books children read, as long as they become capable readers, well-versed in the power of books as a source of information and retaining some element of pleasure in the act of reading itself. If our children are literate and numerate, able to investigate and research in any subject area, confident about their abilities and joyful in the act of learning itself, then there can be very little that could stand in their way.
The school system, on the other hand, adopts one new curriculum or methodology after another, apparently to stem the decline in standards, increasingly widespread behavioural problems and a loss of confidence in the system. Since the introduction of compulsory schooling the only constant factor has been a gradual, yet relentless, increase in the amount of time that children spend in school.
While the tinkering continues, graduates from the school system are now the adults working in our community. I stood at our local bakery today and the young lady behind the counter, whose cash register was out of order, reached for a calculator to work out how much I owed ($2.30 for a loaf of bread and $2.60 for a sausage roll), and then a second time to determine how much change to give me from $10.
If we are going to insist that our children spend 10 years of their lives subjected to institutionalised education, surely we can all agree that we should, at least, be teaching them something.
To kick things off I propose teaching them how to make change for a loaf of bread.


Some kids just can’t sit still, act out, or consistently struggle with academics. They’re frustrated, and so are their parents, but are they just “misbehaving”? It could be something more.
These children could have ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia, learning difficulties, or behavioral or social issues. Brain Balance Center of Princeton-Pennington can evaluate a child to determine what’s creating the struggle.
“When a family comes in, the first step is to perform a comprehensive assessment to see if there is a sensory motor issue, a cognitive issue, or both,” said Center Director Lauren Peters, MEd. “It could be there’s an eye issue that’s impacting reading comprehension, an issue with developmental delay, any number of things that’s holding the child back.”
A detailed report is created for each child based on the assessment’s results. This is the blueprint Brain Balance Center of Princeton-Pennington implements during the next 12 weeks with the child, who comes in after school three times per week for an hour-long session. Some need fewer sessions, some more; the program is specific to each student.
Brain Balance Center of Princeton-Pennington employs two sensory motor coaches — one with a physical education degree and another who is completing occupational therapy training — and cognitive coaches who are specialized, certified teachers.
The results are impressive, and Peters has the testimonials to back it up. Norm H. went from being extremely withdrawn and non-verbal to reading aloud in front of his class. Jonathan R. was able to avoid medication for anxiety and depression through the program. Tommy P. overcame sensory sensitivities including a fear of loud noises; now he enjoys fireworks. All three are doing well in school, too.
“We also look at the nutrition aspect and test for food sensitivities,” Peters added. “We discovered one student, Erik W., had protein deficiency. Once on amino acids, we saw an immediate improvement in his attention span.”
Peters is extremely experienced in dealing with school-aged children, having taught for a decade. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Rhode Island, a master’s in elementary education from the College of New Jersey, and a master’s in educational technology from New Jersey City University. During her tenure as a teacher she gained a broad knowledge in the field by teaching both special needs and regular education children.
The center is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Brain Balance of Princeton-Pennington, 21 Route 31 North, Suite A2, Pennington. 609-737-1310 or www.brainbalancecenters.com.


We offer reading testing and specialized reading tutoring in person and via Whizzimo which is an interactive online platform.
Special reading tutoring is a different approach to helping children with persistent reading difficulty learn to read and read well. Children with dyslexia or challenging reading difficulties learn best with reading curriculum that is different in two important ways: how and what children are taught. First, the children must be taught how to read using an approach that is a specialized multisensory approach as children with dyslexia or chronic reading difficulty learn best when all their learning channels are activated. This means your child must hear, see, say, touch, and manipulate the information they are learning. They are learning via a nationally known, specialized one-to-one reading program that most public schools don’t offer.
Second, what your child learns must be different from the way general education teachers teach reading. Your child must be taught in a manner that is systematic, explicit, direct, and content controlled. There are several reading programs available that are highly effective for helping children with reading challenges. The key is to know which reading program is best for your child.
If your child is in early elementary school, these are the critical years for helping him or her with the foundational skills needed for success in middle and high school. In other words, don’t wait and start special reading instruction now or valuable time will pass. We’ve been helping parents long enough to know you can spend some money now or wait and spend a lot of money later to help your child.
The longer you wait, the harder it is to overcome a reading challenge. When you wait to start until your child is older, in addition to the special reading tutoring, you’ll also be trying to change your child’s negative attitude toward reading and possibly even low self-esteem.
Children who require special reading tutoring and receive it at an early age have a more positive attitude toward reading when they are older.


The UNESCO Database on the Right to Educationprovides detailed information on the ratification of normative instruments and monitoring status of the right to education including national reports; constitutional and legal frameworks as well as education policies of the selected country.
The UNESCO-GEM Report World Inequality Database on Education (WIDE) highlights the powerful influence of circumstances, such as wealth, gender, ethnicity and location, over which people have little control but which play an important role in shaping their opportunities for education and life. It draws attention to unacceptable levels of education inequality across countries and between groups within countries.
Reports and academic works
Abrol, M. (2016). “Emerging Trends of Privatization of Education in India”, in International Journal of Educational Administration 8(1), pp. 1-6.
Kamat, S., Spreen, C. A. & Jonnalagadda, I. (2016). “Profiting from the Poor. The Emergence of Multinational Edu-Businesses in Hyderabad, India”. Education International, 2016.
Assessing the impact of Right to Education Act, KPMG-CII, March 2016.
Bhatnagar, N. & Das, A. (2014). “Regular School Teachers’ Concerns and Perceived Barriers to Implement Inclusive Education in New Delhi, India”. In International Journal of Instruction 7(2).
Human Rights Watch. (2014). “They Say We’re Dirty” Denying an Education to India’s Marginalized.
“Privatization and its Impact on the Right to Education of Women and Girls”, civil society submission to United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), July 2014.
Nambissan, G. B. (n. a.). Poverty, Markets and Elementary Education in India, TRG Poverty & Education Working Paper Series.


Just for Girls Grades 6-8 Reading Comprehension: Aligned to Common Core
Fiction & Nonfiction Reading Just for Girls!
Includes 18 short fiction and nonfiction readings, a teacher guide, teacher and student rubrics, read aloud observation form and answer key.
Early teenage girls will enjoy reading fiction stories that relate to self-esteem, personal accomplishments, and overcoming new and uncomfortable experiences.
The entertaining and informative nonfiction stories will provide insight into the lives of famous women from the present and the past, eating disorders, and the origins of foods and nail polish.
The subject matter, characters, and graphics have been carefully chosen to relate to girls of this age group.
Real-world applications address students' literacy development as they analyze an advertising poster, advice column, and magazine articles.
The before, during, and after reading exercises incorporate effective, research-based reading comprehension strategies including activating prior knowledge, predicting, visualizing, questioning, drawing inferences, summarizing, synthesizing, monitoring and repairing comprehension, and evaluation.
96 pages including an answer key.
Aligned to Common Core Standards for Reading, Literature & Informational Text.


Research-based Health Literacy Materials and Instruction Guide
Beginning ABE and ESL Levels
The initial development and implementation of these health literacy materials was the direct result of competitive federal funding for adult literacy research. The original health literacy materials, which form the basis for this web-based version, were developed through a grant from The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2002-2008) to Dr. Susan Levy, University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Health Research and Policy. The project was funded through a federal partnership which included The National Institute for Literacy, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education of the US Department of Education, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. For more details, including a full list of the original research project staff, see Introduction and Acknowledgements.
These health literacy materials meet both the need of adults to enhance their literacy skills as well as their need to navigate the health care system and begin to achieve better health care for themselves and their families. These materials integrate literacy skills and practice with pertinent health information. In a scientifically-based research environment, use of these materials led to an increase in participants’ literacy scores on standardized tests used to validate literacy gains. And, equally as important for these adult learners, they significantly increased health literacy and knowledge.
The materials presented here are specifically intended for Beginning ABE and ESL learners, and the strategies they employ to develop and strengthen the components of the reading process are those proven effective with these groups. Find the link to the Intermediate Level ABE and ESL version in the left navigation bar.
Navigating Through the Materials: What’s Where
The basic layout or organization of the Research-based Health Literacy Materials is very straightforward. There are 18 Sections, designed to be introduced to students in order from 1 through 18. The results and outcomes of the research are based on this sequence of instruction and a set number of instructional hours (42 hrs. minimum). The Sections are listed on the sidebar to the left of the screen. Clicking on a Section title will allow you to read a brief synopsis of the main topics and highlights of that Section.
You’ll find the materials for each Section organized into four “folders” or categories. Before introducing the materials in the classroom or tutoring session, instructors are strongly urged to read the Instruction Guide, in particular:
The four key chapters noted above contain the methodology and the rationale behind the activities in each of the respective folders. Activities common to all 18 Sections are noted by an asterisk (*). Due to the nature of the content, some Sections contain more material and will take longer to cover than others.
|Basic Skills and Vocabulary|
|Material in this folder should be considered building block material for the Section. It is intended to be used at the beginning of each lesson to help students develop the foundational skills needed for effective reading.
The folder contains:
|Reading and Comprehension|
|This folder contains the basic reading material for the Section:
|This material covers a wide range of activities designed to reinforce and give more “hands-on” application of the core lesson content. Type of activity is denoted by the following codes:
|This material is designed specifically for use with English language learners. The folder contains:
You may download, print and copy any individual file or activity for use, as well as a zipped file of all the materials in each section. For additional information please see Technical Requirements
Click the icon to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Troubleshooting information for Adobe Acrobat Reader.


This week’s activities explore the fascinating study of inherited traits that affect us all, Genetics. If you thought you already knew everything about your family members by staying at home with them for weeks on end, guess again. After this week’s activities, you will know each other on a genetic level!
Online Videos: Use these links to educate and entertain!
- Early Elementary (K-2): What is DNA? Science for Kids
- Upper Elementary (3-5)/Middle School: Mendel’s Pea Plants
- High School: Introduction to Heredity
Create a Creature: Animals have a set of characteristics that helps it survive and succeed in an environment. This set of characteristics is called adaptations and include traits like body parts, body coverings, and behaviors. In this activity, you will use some of your favorite snacks to create a creature with adaptations that helps it thrive and pass along its genetic code to the next generation in one of the environments described.
Genetics with Rebops: In this activity, kids learn about the relationship between genes and inherited traits. Kids learn how genetic information is passed from one generation to the next by creating pretend creatures called Rebops.
Genetics Week – DNA: In this activity, kids first learn about how complicated information can be encoded using binary code and then the four DNA bases and use them to send and receive coded messages using DNA. They then extract DNA from cells in a form that they can see. Finally, explore the prediction of genetic traits using Punnett Squares in the final activity.
For additional resources, check out our new STEM @ Home page!
Image credited to Francesco Ungaro from pexels.com


Guided Reading for fifth and sixth grades develops foundational reading skills and improves comprehension as students engage with informational texts.
Add an interesting twist to your language arts lesson plans with Guided Reading: Synthesize for fifth and sixth grades. This resource includes 36 leveled readers—six sets of two each for below-, on-, and above-level student readers. The readers engage students with popular topics such as money, hip-hop, ads, language, and more.
Create a comprehensive reading program with Ready to Go Guided Reading: Synthesize. This reading comprehension resource book offers informational text for students at various reading levels and includes:
- discussion guides
- prompts to encourage students to work with the text and text features
- leveled readers with intriguing topics
- graphic organizers and an observation sheet
The readers are separated by below-, on-, and above-level comprehension skills and feature callout boxes to teach students to apply guided reading strategies to the texts. Each nonfiction reader addresses fascinating topics and includes a writing prompt so students can reflect on what they learned.
The Ready to Go: Guided Reading series for first to sixth grades includes everything you need for guided reading organization. Each 80-page book is essentially a guided reading set, containing 36 total readers, six discussion guides, and three reproducible pages. Each grade span includes 8 books, focusing on the following reading comprehension strategies:
- Determine Importance
Each nonfiction reader contains short nonfiction texts, vocabulary banks, photographs, charts, and maps.


The East Valley SELPA employs occupational therapists who provide services directly to eligible students with disabilities in its member districts. Occupational therapists working in school settings use unique expertise to help children prepare for and perform important learning and school related activities to fulfill their roles as students (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2015). School-based occupational therapy is governed by federal and state laws and is a related service for students with an identified disability who have an individualized education program (IEP) and receive other special education services. It is provided to children who need therapy to function in the educational setting. Therefore, if the IEP team has exhausted the strategies, activities, or resources available and believe that occupational therapy is necessary for the child to benefit from his/her educational program, a referral should be made.
Prior to providing occupational therapy services, an assessment is conducted by a licensed occupational therapist to determine the appropriateness and necessity of services. TThe primary areas of focus for occupational therapy services are fine motor, sensory processing, and coordination skills. Interventions aim at addressing the foundational skills and exploring external adaptations or alternative ways of completing activities.


This introductory Nanodegree program teaches you the foundational skills all programmers use, whether they program mobile apps, create internet pages, or analyze knowledge. Programming languages do evolve as a result of there is a continuous seek for efficient transformation of human language into machine code. Generally, nevertheless, the software finds an error in a single place that actually was attributable to one other kind of error some place else within the code.
System Programmers cope with the science of programming not the specific implementations of it. Do not tie yourself to a specific platform. As an illustration, animations and games run at a body charge, say, sixty frames per second. Python just lately bumped Java as the language of choice in introductory programming programs with eight of the top 10 pc science departments now utilizing Python to teach coding, in addition to 27 of the top 39 schools. You’ll be able to think about a very powerful aspect of programming: creating good logic and design. Branching programming constructs akin to if..then..else and select/change..case.
The TIOBE Programming Community index is an indicator of the popularity of programming languages. These are only a few of the thousands of programming languages and dialects which have been designed in historical past. However, the high costs related to managing tasks given to overseas programmers typically offsets the savings from the lower wages, inflicting some companies to deliver back or keep programming jobs in the United States. Professional programmers attempt every part they will consider to check the software beneath all circumstances. Learn at least one brainstorming approach/methodology and a software that is used to implement that method. Though that is clearly a crucial step in creating a program, since we presents programming concepts in a language-free atmosphere we can have little to say about the translation of the design into precise code.
Anybody who is following programming questions should be acquainted with these questions and in addition is aware of reply for most of these but for brand new guys and even for intermediate it is worth refreshing it earlier than going to any programming job interview e.g. Core Java interview.
Here’s a Java program to search out Armstrong quantity, you can use similar logic to jot down code in another programming language like C and C++. See additionally Inform 7 English-like languages like these are generally accused of being difficult to write down (for the reason that syntax is more restrictive than actual English), however that is a fault of the atmosphere. A singular sort of procedural programming, structured programming affords further instruments that can be used to deal with the issues produced by bigger packages. Franklyn Turbak and David Gifford with Mark Sheldon : Design Concepts in Programming Languages, The MIT Press 2009.


Vista Museum of Art
Vista Core Course：
The core course of Westa International Children's Art Museum is Novon Art Course. Westa's curriculum system is developed by a team of artists from Paris Institute of Higher Arts, Lyon Academy of Arts, Versailles Academy of Art, Central Academy of Fine Arts and Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts in France. It has been developed for many years and updated at an annual rate of 30%. Westa's curriculum system ensures that the pure French children's art education is inherited and integrated into the most advanced STEAM education concept innovation, which is suitable for children of different ages from 2.5 to 12 years old in art learning, while stimulating children's interest in multidisciplinary learning and cultivating children's interdisciplinary problem-solving ability.
Westa's children's art education has been devoted to Sino-French cultural exchanges and the development and export of high-end Sino-French children's art courses for 19 years. At present, in the world, including France, Britain, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, China and other places, nearly 800 children's art institutions have introduced Westa's children's art curriculum system. At the same time, the curriculum is also accompanied by nearly 300,000 children around the world growing up on the road of art learning.
Vista's Core Educational Idea of Children's Art
The famous French thinker and educator Rousseau's naturalistic educational theory emphasizes that education follows the natural nature of children.
On this basis, combined with the concept of modern education, we also need to inspire and guide children's creativity.
Teachers are required to provide children with a series of reference materials describing objects.
It's not just taking out demonstration works for students to copy, which gives children a lot of free imagination and creative space to play.
The Teaching Aim of Vista Children's Art Course
Teachers will teach their children other ways to co-create and everyone's ability to collaborate.
For example, by telling a fairy tale or fable to describe the content of the art training course
Then the teacher mobilized many children to try to cooperate and finish the work together, so that every child who participated in it would feel honored.
It will be an important task to cultivate children's ability to cooperate with each other. This kind of cooperation will gradually become a good habit in learning, which will benefit them for a lifetime.
Enlighten children to learn how to use various materials
Children will be curious about all kinds of fresh materials. Teachers are required to encourage them to make bold attempts.
According to their own interests, they can choose painting, paper-cut or other media of expression, such as clay, knitting, rubbing and so on.
The classroom is such a place for children to study in experiments.
Provide a variety of objects, toys, pictures to arouse children's interest, and then develop children's ability to observe, imagine and remember.
Vista's Children's Art Integrates STEAM Educational Idea into the Course
If you want to understand them, especially the relationship between them, you can't be independent of any part of them.
Only in interaction and collision can we realize deep-seated learning and understanding learning, and can we really cultivate children's skills and understanding in all aspects.
Vista exercises children's ability of space construction and imagination in the process of children's creation, which will be helpful to children's future study of solid geometry and physics.
Stimulate children's interest in science and engineering. Art class is a more relaxed and interesting environment than boring pure science and engineering learning.


- Victorian Disability:Introduction
H.G. Wells's "The Country of the Blind" (1904) tells the tale of a traveller to a remote region of South America who happens upon a curious village in an isolated valley after an avalanche separates him from his party. The buildings, he observes, are strange affairs, cobbled together with a perplexing variety of multi-coloured stones, while the streets are lined with low-lying curbs as if to guide the pedestrians who use them. Reflecting on these and other odd features of the place, he soon comes to the conclusion that whoever these people are, one thing is certain: they have no sense of sight. Recalling the old adage "In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king," he enters the village as a kind of conqueror, confidently expecting the afflicted people of this valley to bow before his self-evident superiority. "I can see," he grandly announces to the group that comes to greet him.
"See?" said Correa.
"Yes, see," said Nunez, turning toward him, and stumbling against Pedro's pail.
"His senses are still imperfect," said the third blind man. "He stumbles, and talks unmeaning words. Lead him by the hand."(547)
Having lost the faculty of sight many generations ago, the people of this valley have developed an entire culture that is adapted to their sensory abilities, from a creation myth to a system of governance. They treat the traveller as a kind of "unformed" man, a creature of the rocks who lacks the capacity to manage the simple, day-to-day tasks that their children perform with ease. Puzzling over Nunez's physical impairment, they finally conclude that he "must have been specially created to learn and serve the wisdom they had acquired, and for all his mental incoherency and stumbling behaviour he must have courage, and do his best to learn" (550). No king, then, the traveller becomes a kind of charity case to the people of the valley, a pitiful creature to be cared for and assisted in his efforts to become more fully formed—to become, to their minds, human.
Wells's ironic tale depicts a sighted man who learns to understand his supposed normality as a kind of affliction, one that puts him at the mercy of a [End Page 45] community where the senses of hearing, touch, smell, and taste surpass that of sight. The text plays upon many aspects of the Victorian preoccupation with the nature of ability and its relationship to contemporary discourses of citizenship, education, health, and aesthetics. It was during the Victorian period that Laura Bridgman, a deaf-blind girl who had learned to both read and write, became a kind of international celebrity and many popular novelists put the personal and social challenges faced by characters with disabilities at the heart of their texts, making the trials of Tiny Tim and Edward Rochester among the best known in the language. Nor were such concerns limited to the imagined pathos of those with disabilities. A series of Poor Laws and Elementary Education Acts (1870, 1880, 1893, 1899) were among a number of legislative efforts to define ability in the wake of industrialization and imperial expansion. By the end of the century, the growth of eugenics fomented a new and intense scrutiny of "fitness" in physical and mental capabilities. Taken together, these cultural, governmental, and medical discourses helped to redefine the very meaning of ability, putting the body and its faculties at the very heart of a new bio-politics.
Wells's story, however, suggests the degree to which the emergent definitions of what constituted an able-bodied man or woman were already being questioned and contested in the period. In fact, the Victorians did not use the term disability as expansively as we use it today. Victorians would not have grouped together, in their terminology, a blind person, a "mad" person, an "invalid," a "cripple," an "idiot," and an individual with what we now call Down Syndrome (after the Victorian doctor John Langdon Down) in the one discursive category of "disability." When various groups that might now be understood as disabled were...


The story is short but powerful and could work beautifully at the beginning of the school year to give kids a chance to get to know and appreciate one another and share more about themselves in a positive environment. At the end of the story, kids can complete a sentence about themselves (or a character they create) and what makes him or her unique. This activity lets kids express themselves creatively.Continue reading Show less
In this interactive, rhyming book, kids meet a variety of characters who have something that makes them unique. Some of these "you-things" can be seen -- like Bea's glasses and Lamar's scar. Some are silly -- like Grace being from outer space or Ruth's purple tooth. Some help kids see their own uniqueness or appreciate differences in others. Brad has two dads, and Dot gets scared a lot. The message is clear: "No one in the world is the same," and "without 'you-things' we'd be boring and plain."
Kids put themselves in the story by creating their own character, choosing an outfit, and taking their picture with the device's camera or choosing a drawn face. Then they get to name their "you-thing" and join the parade celebrating differences.
The fun drawings will amuse kids and introduce them to differences without making them feel uncomfortable. The range of "you-things" displayed show kids differences -- in appearance, in family structure, in likes and dislikes, and more -- all things that make each individual special. They rhyming name and difference, along with the illustrations, keep the tone light, and kids will need to discuss and think more deeply to fully grasp and appreciate the message. The extension questions are easy to miss, but are important for kids to process the story. You can get to them by holding the heart icon at the top of the screen, choosing the How It Works tab, and swiping to the last page.
Key Standards Supported
Reading Foundational Skills
Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.
Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters.
Reading Informational Text
Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.


Improvisation is an articulated multidimensional activity based on an extemporaneous creative performance. Practicing improvisation, participants expand sophisticated skills such as sensory and perceptual encoding, memory storage and recall, motor control, and performance monitoring. Improvisation abilities have been developed following several methodologies mainly with a product-oriented perspective. A model framed under the socio-cultural theory of learning for designing didactic activities on processes instead of outcomes is presented in the current paper. The challenge is to overcome the mere instructional dimension of some practices of teaching improvisation by designing activities that stimulate self-regulated learning strategies in the students. In the article the present thesis is declined in three ways, concerning the following three possible areas of application: (1) high-level musical learning, (2) musical pedagogy with children, (3) general pedagogy. The applications in the music field focusing mainly on an expert’s use of improvisation are discussed. The last section considers how these ideas should transcend music studies, presenting the benefits and the implications of improvisation activities for general learning. Moreover, the application of music education to the following cognitive processes are discussed: anticipation, use of repertoire, emotive communication, feedback and flow. These characteristics could be used to outline a pedagogical method for teaching music improvisation based on the development of reflection, reasoning, and meta-cognition.
Vincent van Gogh
Research Professor. Director at Learning Change Project – Research on society, culture, art, neuroscience, cognition, critical thinking, intelligence, creativity, autopoiesis, self-organization, rhizomes, complexity, systems, networks, leadership, sustainability, thinkers, futures ++
Giorgio Bertini does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from these papers, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Investing in early childhood learning means, of course, investing in a child’s future. But what about investing in preschool teachers?
The Hechinger Report notes that “with a growing body of research showing that the early years are a critical window for brain development and learning, calls to require a bachelor’s degree for early childhood educators in both the public and private sectors have increased over the last decade. In 2007, the federal government required that at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers have a bachelor’s by 2013. (By 2015, almost 75 percent had bachelor’s degrees).”
The post highlights an “an ongoing preschool expansion project in Massachusetts, funded by a federal grant in 2014.” It “required all lead preschool teachers to have a bachelor’s. And in 2015, after a comprehensive review of early childhood research, the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, recommended that all lead teachers in early childhood settings have a bachelor’s. But many programs are having a hard time finding and hiring teachers who have attained one.”
What the job demands is closer to the work of elementary school teachers, scientists say.”
Massachusetts isn’t alone in focusing on preschool teachers.
Washington D.C. has required that many child-care teachers in the District “must return to school under new licensing regulations that went into effect in December (20160 for child-care centers,” according to the Washington Post.
The piece continues: “The new regulations put the District at the forefront of a national effort to improve the quality of care and education for the youngest learners. City officials want to address an academic achievement gap between children from poor and middle-class families that research shows is already evident by the age of 18 months…A central part of that mission is educating a workforce that historically has been paid and treated like babysitters. What the job demands is closer to the work of elementary school teachers, scientists say.”
Indeed, according to The Hechinger Report: “Winifred M. Hagan, an associate commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and an expert in early childhood teaching. Hagan said there are ‘different qualitative requirements for teachers of different kids,’ depending on whether the children attend public pre-kindergarten, Head Start, or community-based programs. This, she believes, contributes to achievement gaps across racial lines and between low-income children and their peers.”
It continues: “To ensure that all children have access to preschool teachers who have deep and practical knowledge, state officials are building multiple pathways to a bachelor’s degree in early education. One of them is an initiative called MassTransfer, which encourages students to earn an associate degree at a community college, then transfer to a bachelor’s program at a four-year school. The program, which offers a variety of majors, including early childhood education, guarantees that credits earned during an associate degree program will transfer to the bachelor’s, and waives some application requirements for enrollees who maintain a certain grade point average.”
Preschool Teachers Seek Opportunities to Learn
Another reason for the education drive: preschool teachers care as much about educational excellence as any other teachers.
Anne Douglass, of the University of Massachusetts, Boston, wrote: “While researching for my new book, I found that lead educators who teach young children are eager to advance their knowledge and become more effective instructors. They place as high a value on education as K-12 educators do. They often want greater access to higher education, along with compensation equal to that earned by K-12 teachers. In other words, they are not babysitters and do not want to be treated as such.”
She adds: “We should keep in mind that those who teach young children build the foundation upon which K-12 educators do their work. Without this foundation, many children show up at school ill-prepared for even kindergarten. By itself, requiring college degrees of lead teachers who work in early education will not close this learning gap. But it is an important and necessary step to take in order to support and strengthen quality teaching in all of our nation’s preschools so that every young child will be given their best opportunity to succeed.”
The lessons help explain why places like Massachusetts are putting a focus on the educational degrees of preschool teachers.


C427 – Language Development
This course promotes students’ understanding of typical and atypical language development in the first eight years of life. The language learning process (oral, written, bilingual and second language learning) is studied as an integral part of the development of thinking and development of the child’s sense of self in home and community settings, including school. Students learn how factors such as age, language competence and performance. Alternative communication systems for young children are explored. The role of play – particularly with language itself an in conversations with adults, peers, and siblings – in fostering language development is examined. Students learn how group experiences and well-chosen children’s literature can be used to maximize language and literacy development.


Q: My fourth-grade son constantly asks intelligent, in-depth questions as he is doing his homework. How do I keep him on task without inhibiting his serious quest for deeper understanding? The problem is that he takes 2-3 hours to complete homework. I immensely like both my son's teachers, but it seems his homeroom teacher sends a lot of busywork home — repetitive, mindless things I don't feel he needs. Talking to her didn't seem to help.
A: Fourth-grade students don't usually spend 2-3 hours on homework. You might begin by asking some other parents in your son's class how much time their children typically spend. I'm guessing it will be less time. There are some repetitive "drill" type assignments that most children have to complete in primary grades; learning math facts and spelling words aren't necessarily the most exciting tasks. They can be foundational skills that can build confidence, or, if your son is already competent in these skills, they can be overkill. Either way, children may claim they are "boring".
If your son isn't already fast and competent at these skills, he needs practice, and you can describe them as valuable exercise for his brain, similar to football players doing boring pushups, which are important exercises for their bodies. Once you convince him of their value, you can use a timer and make a game out of the exercises, so he can learn to do them efficiently and well. Please don't sit by his side while he works, or he will slow down to enjoy your attention by distracting you with his in-depth and interesting questions. Ask him to save his good questions until after he's completed his work and plan some fun activity for when his work is done. That could help to motivate him to finish more quickly.
There are several other possible issues. If you've described the homework to your son as "busywork," and hopefully you haven't, he may assume he has your permission to avoid doing the work.
It is also possible that the work is far too easy for your son. You've indicated that you've talked to his teacher, and there hasn't been any change. She may not agree that he doesn't need the practice.
Requesting a school assessment of your son's skills may get the evidence you require to convince the teacher that he already knows the material. Sometimes the school psychologist or a special teacher can do this assessment, or you may need to request an evaluation by a private psychologist. In the process of having your son evaluated, it's possible you will discover he requires more challenging work and could use a grade or subject skip, or it's also possible that he is covering up an attention problem or learning disability and is having a serious struggle with his work. It's important to uncover the underlying issue for your son so this protracted homework doesn't turn into a long-term habit, procrastination or the beginnings of underachievement syndrome.
For free newsletters about underachievement, learning disabilities, gifted children, and/or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) , send a self-addressed, stamped envelope for each newsletter and a note with your topic request to the address below.
Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or [email protected] To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.


Kids Name Art Ideas: Name Snowflakes. Great Middle School Project
It's art, it's math and it's a fine motor work out but it's also SUPER COOL! Make your own name snowflakes is a great STEAM challenge for school age kids.
Make Your Own Solar Oven - I Can Teach My Child!
I'm a little sad that all the fun and fascinating science experiments are coming to an end...this is the very last one! I hope you have enjoyed this
Orange Buoyancy Science Experiment - Playdough To Plato
Activity for ages 3 to 8. Looking for a quick kids’ science experiment that’s sure to wow little scientists?! This simple buoyancy activity requires just a few common household supplies. Kids will love learning why things sink and float in this easy, hands-on experiment! Check out the simple step-by-step below and then join The Plato Pack so you […]
Kristina on Instagram: “A nest building #learninginvitation with cinnamon playdough, natural materials, yarn, and little eggs and chicks to extend our bird inquiry…”
@kristina.wedewer: “A nest building #learninginvitation with cinnamon playdough, natural materials, yarn, and little…”
Backyard Ball Run.
Red’s grandpa made him this awesome ball run for the backyard. He got the inspiration from the Lowe’s Creative Ideas Spring 2012 magazine. He spray painted various pieces of plastic guttering and mounting brackets with plastic spray paint, and then mounted them all to the fence like a marble run. Here are the different items he got to drop in. There are steel fishing sinkers, fishing bobbers that make a rattle sound, gemstones (like in floral vases), and Squinkies. Red will probably make use…
How Do Folded Mountains Form: Science For Kids
This science experiment was a great visual for explaining how fold mountains are formed. It also uses materials you already have in the house.
Scientist Poster for Elementary Grades STEM [someone who]
A Scientist is Someone Like You Poster for Elementary Grades!SOMEONE WHO SERIES:MATHEMATICIANENGINEER READERSTUDENT ARTIST **Free**SAVE BY BUYING THE BUNDLE! CLICK HERE!
Two types of homemade balance scales from recycling
We've had a bunch of recycling and craft stuff out in the kitchen 24/7 since the beginning of last week, and so lots of random bits and bobs...
WHAT IS INQUIRY BASED LEARNING?
Traditionally, classrooms in Ontario have followed the rote learning model, which is a technique based on repetition and memorization. But recently, those classrooms are disappearing in favour of a more collaborative space, in which teachers are facilitators using a technique called inquiry-based teaching. “Inquiry-based teaching is an approach to instruction that begins with exploring curriculum content and providing a framework for the students to ask their own questions which builds…
39 Coolest Kids Toys You Can Make Yourself
Be the most awesome parent ever, and keep them occupied so you can relax (at least a little bit). Or let them help you build it, if you're feeling brave.
How Hydropower Plants Work
The basic idea isn't new, but the process of modern hydropower conversion is high-tech. Today's hydropower plants are some of the coolest machines ever constructed. Find out how rushing water generates power.
20 More Amazing Water Facts
Well, since we see you love infographics we thought we’d give you another one to ponder. It’s easy to take our access to safe water for granted, b


World In Tune™ Music of the Ancient World, was originally written for schools, integrating the arts and sciences with music as the core of the study. However, to our surprise, it found additional, unexpected audiences, with Special Ed teachers, high school students and professional musicians. Consequently we found this was due in great part to the colorful and informative writing of Dr. Willis Wager, who said, “From a base in literature I had found treasure in teaching “art”, defined as material from nature — pigment, stone, words, sounds — that had been subjected to human effort and shaped by the human mind, giving it special value.”
World in Tune™ Music of the Ancient World
World In Tune TM is a program for ancient music, emphasizing rhythm, modes, listening and creating sounds. WIT comes in two forms: book or media version. Optional additions for the program include laminated time-line charts, decorative instruments charts for bulletin boards and authentic instruments from around the world.
How it works
World In Tune TM integrates history, art, humanities, math, theater, and dance with music as the core. Having music as the integrator requires no great leap of faith, for in the ancient civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Sumer/Babylon, and Greece, music did hold this position. Ancient peoples realized its two-fold aspect: 1. of sounding mathematics and 2. as art which touches the heart. This encompassing world view of music, before the common era, placed ancient man in a Musical Garden of Eden.
This is what World In Tune presents to your students.
Much of World in Tune is in story form which can be enjoyed by all students and emphasizes basic ideas which are then elaborated on. This makes it appropriate for elementary and secondary levels.
World In Tune TM
WIT teacher's handbook covers five civilizations - Egypt, Sumer/Babylon, China, India and Greece - from approximately 3000 BCE to the beginnings of the first millennium AD.
This is an integrative curriculum with music as the core of the program for grades K-12, emphasizing rhythm, modes, listening and creating sounds. Also contains general information about these five civilizations. 130 pages. $49.95
Click World In Tune book to order.
Sample Pages from World In Tune
Included on CD ( for computer):
▪World In Tune book (expanded) The Ancient Music of Sumer/Babylon, Egypt, China, India and Greece (printable up to 35 copies) with 200 pages and 200 illustrations (130 in color) and musical examples.
▪Complete Timeline of Musical Instruments for all Civilizations spanning 3000 years
CLICK NOTE TO BUY WORLD IN TUNE MEDIA
Included On DVD (for computer or TV):
▪Videos of Music and Instruments of Ancient Egypt, Sumer/Babylon, China, India and Greece
WORLD IN TUNE™(Complete CD + DVD) $89.95 [WIT-V]
“Another good source is World In Tune...World In Tune is an integrated approach to world music. Music was the center linked to all other disciplines. It is an approach geared to stimulate interest. Once an interest is aroused, learning follows and all students are engaged in the process because they want to.” Elise S. Sobol, Adjunct Professor Music Education at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development
“...Thank you for World In Tune. It’s a fascinating study for all children. It touches on so many aspects of life which are not usually connected with music.” Anne Brown, George Gershwin’s original Bess.


Today, I have two things on my mind. One is that while every child is entitled to a music education, no one is entitled to success; that has to be earned. I am a strong believer in the principle that the less one has to work for something, the less it will be valued. The other is that children in kindergarten can begin to learn how to read music, and children younger than five years need not be taught how to read music. Anyone for whom either or both of those statements is controversial, please read on.
I know colleagues who do not attempt to teach music reading until second or third grade. They insist that children younger cannot effectively be taught to read music. I haven’t observed any of these teachers, but my guess is that a more accurate statement would be that the teaching method being used is not effective in teaching those younger children how to read music. We must realize that music reading will always follow singing, just as reading language always follows speaking. Children are more fluent speakers of their native language than they are readers of it for at least the first seven or so years of their lives. Music is no different. Children are more fluent singers and chanters than readers of music for the first eight or nine years of their lives, and that only if they have received proper musical training. For this reason, it is important to have easier songs to read, and more difficult songs to sing by ear. That way, children are constantly being familiarized with musical patterns that can then eventually find their way into what the children can read using standard musical notation.
This approach is observable in music classrooms where the teacher is using the Kodaly method. Children typically are taught many songs by rote that include two to all five notes of the pentatonic scale, but start learning music reading with only two notes, usually so and mi. The children sing songs with other notes before they read other notes. Eventually those notes are added in the order in which the student is likely to have become familiar with them. Hence, after so and mi, la is introduced before fa in a culture where pentatonic songs are prevalent, though fa may be introduced earlier in cultures where it is more frequently encountered. Although a two line staff is sometimes employed at first, I have found this to be unnecessary. I use the full five line staff immediately, so that the children can get used to finding a limited number of pitches on the staff they will eventually need to read from. Kindergarteners can quickly and easily see the difference between mi on the bottom line, and so on the next line up, and do on the ledger line below the staff. Because I teach using fixed do, remembering do as the note with the ledger line through it does not have to be altered later on. Re hangs from the bottom line, and fa sits comfortably in his house between the bottom two lines.
Once the children have learned so and mi, I constantly refer back to those notes written on the staff when they are heard in songs they sing. “Wait, wait, what was that? Did you hear so-mi just then?” I’ll sing “so-mi” and then the passage that contains them. After a few classes, I’ll ask the children to raise their hand each time they hear a so-mi. I think it’s very important to continually connect what they are singing, hearing, and reading, and so I do this regularly. I also teach the kindergarten children Curwin hand signs, because I have found that it helps them remember the notation and sound of the intervals. Somehow, the hand signs seem to solidify the connection between sight and sound. It is not uncommon for the same children when they start first grade, to show me hand signs before sight singing a pattern. Once they have done the hand signs, they remember what to sing.
I strongly believe that this is a solid way to teach young children how to read music. No pre-reading gimmicks are needed such as singing by number or color coding and matching. Children are fully capable of matching what they hear to what they see; they have been doing this from very early on, learning what to call things by matching what they look like with what they hear people calling the object. It has been observed that our Western culture is teetering on becoming a post-literate one, if in fact we have not become one already. Much is at stake if that were to fully occur. So much of our cultural identity is tied to things that are written down in words, pictures, and music. Teaching music reading—real music reading, with a musical staff and all the notes and symbols traditionally associated with it—is not small matter, but instead is the music teacher’s contribution to preserving and advancing through students’ creative use of standard music notation the culturally essential art, so vital to humanity, of music.


Teaching children phonics is the most rewarding subject to teach in my books. Before I became a reading teacher, I homeschooled my own children. Many people are fearful of phonics and don’t know where to start. I can assure you that if you take the time to educate yourself and check out all the FREE Phonics Online Training Resources, you will rock teaching phonics.
You got this!
No need to break the bank when teaching your students to read. All of these resources can supplement your own phonic program or they can stand alone. I always like to pick and choose several different resources because I have several different types of learners in my classroom.
Check out these TOP FREE phonics online programs
ABC Fast Phonics – Ths is a free tutorial that uses cartoons and sounds with audio narration and clickable words to teach phonics. This method teaches just basic phonics concepts without struggle or frustration and includes rules for vowels, consonants, and blends along with practice pages. I really like the common word practice.
Progressive Phonics – is an all-in-one reading program that is easy and FUN. You can also print readers and handwriting sheets to go with the lessons.
Starfall – teaches children to read with phonics. Our systematic phonics approach, in conjunction with phonemic awareness practice, is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, special education, homeschool, and English language development. I have friends that their children taught themselves to read with this free phonics online program.
The Phonics Page – this is a Christian ministry to help teach adults and children older than 2nd grade. These lessons are in video format.
Free Reading – The free phonics online lessons comprise 40 weeks of instruction, 5 days per week, 30 minutes per day. (The timings given for individual activities in the program are generous; most teachers complete the activities in less time.)
About the Game – Teach Your Monster to Read is an award-winning series of games that’s helped millions of children learn to read. Play for free on our website or download the app.
Lessons Index – These lessons are designed to teach new learners to read by building a phonics-based foundation. The beginning reader can use the consonant charts and the vowel charts to learn the basic sounds and spelling of letter combinations.
KidZone Language Arts – There are differences in opinion about whether using phonics is useful in teaching children to read. My personal opinion is that everyone learns differently — try a variety of things with your kids until you find what works for them.
Free Reading Program – The Free Reading Program embodies the overarching mission to provide free, high-quality educational resources for students in the United States through online learning.
Between the Lions Early Reading – Here are segments selected from Between the Lions, the series that helps kids “Get Wild About Reading!” This special collection provides a set of early Reading/Language Arts resources, organized by early elementary and preschool literacy skills.
Fly with Phonics – a FREE online reading program that teaches phonics for children in kindergarten and up. Learning with Phonics.com is a colorful combination of words, sounds, images, practice, and play.
Fun Fonix – a phonics warehouse of resources and materials that are designed to move quickly through phonics rules. These are ideal for teachers with limited time for phonics instruction or for teachers or parents who need additional materials for learning and practice.
Reading Bear – Reading Bear, a free program online to teach beginning readers vocabulary and concepts while systematically introducing all the main phonetic patterns of written English, all using innovative rich media.
Phonics Bloom – Phonics Bloom create interactive online phonics games to help teach children the relationship between letters and sounds and develop the skills needed to read and write. All our resources are designed by an experienced team of teachers and parents.
Education.com – With thousands of teacher-crafted learning activities that sync up with the school year, we empower parents and teachers so each child’s needs and potential can take center stage.
Read with Phonics – By turning lessons into phonics games, children learn their phonics without even realizing it. Making learning to read fun with phonics games!
SoftSchools.com – Large collection of worksheets to teach your children phonics and reading.
Be sure to check out the following FREE educational resources
A list of free homeschool curriculums – my most popular post
A list of Top FREE Spelling website – never pay for a spelling again
Where to find Math Worksheets – very extensive list of math sites
So be sure to bookmark this page and pin these FREE phonics online training resources for others to take advantage of.


The aim of all Maths learning and teaching at The Nightingale Centre is to ensure that all of the students we teach are able to gain the highest level of qualification that they can during their time with us.
In the first instance students will follow the scheme of work from their mainstream school.
In other circumstances students will follow The Nightingale Centre scheme of work that will be adjusted to the needs of individual students and their timetables.
It therefore becomes very important to find the level of functioning of every student so that an appropriate, interesting and challenging curriculum can be put into place. This can range from basic numeracy skills to preparation for the new GCSE 1-9 examination.
Students who follow the Nightingale Centre’s curriculum will begin by building on the skills learnt in their primary school.
Essential number work lays the foundation for the other strands of the National Curriculum for mathematics: algebra, ratio, geometry and measures, probability and statistics.
Students in Year 7, 8 and 9 have a wide range of starting points in terms of the maths content they have studied and the academic levels they have reached. Planning for lessons has to take account of this. We follow White Rose mathematics schemes of learning and each unit is differentiated to take account of the differing starting levels.
Students also follow the Renaissance Accelerated Maths programme and use Maths Watch resources to supplement their onsite maths lessons and their extended learning tasks.


The benefits of high quality early learning
12 November 2018
High quality childcare provides direct benefits to children in their early years. Not only is exposure to early learning through play essential for brain development in the first five years of life, but when children are provided with high quality stimulation, interactions and learning programs; their development is positively affected.
The benefits of early childhood education are observed not only through success in formal schooling but also in a child’s social skills, health and wellbeing, as well as higher rates of employment once they become adults.
Social and Emotional Development
During the early years of development from birth to five, children are not only developing their motor skills and learning to communicate, but they are also developing their social and emotional skills that they will use for life. These skills include how to get along with others, how to recognise and manage their own feelings, and cultivating their sense of self. These abilities are key components for children’s future successes in school and in life.
High quality early learning supports children in developing these skills through building respectful and reciprocal relationships with children and families, meeting children’s needs, providing opportunities for turn taking and discussing and exploring emotions.
The development of mathematical skills begins in infancy and continues to be developed through everyday opportunities in early childhood. Children’s skills in numeracy as toddlers and preschoolers are predictive of their later mathematics abilities. Studies have found that children who start ahead in mathematics will generally stay ahead.
Early learning services that support children in the development of mathematical understandings through playing numeracy games, exploring measurement in cooking and sensory play experiences, using song and movement and finding opportunities to explore maths in everyday routines will provide better outcomes for those children for years to come.
Learning to read is affected by a child having phonological awareness, oral language, and awareness of print. When these foundational skills are lacking, children are more likely to be poor readers in the long term. The development of early literacy skills happens through talking, reading, singing, dramatic play, playing.
Children’s literacy skills are developed in high quality childcare settings that value exploring language through books, rhyme, conversations and engagement with print. These services provide the best opportunities for children to develop their literacy skills. Recent research by Macquarie University also found that childcare services that had higher qualified staff, with lower ratios, were able to offer children one on one conversations directly increased and improved children’s language development.
Parents often believe that a child’s ability to count to ten, recite their ABCs, or spell their name, demonstrates their superior literacy and numeracy skills. However, it is crucial for parents to understand the difference between memory and repetition, and true literacy and numeracy skills. For example, a child’s ability to count to ten is usually memory recall, however their ability to count how many eggs are in the egg carton and add them to the number of eggs in a bowl is a demonstration of calculation and arithmetic. A child’s ability to recite the letters in their name may also be using memory, yet their ability to recognise the letters from their name in a printed word containing some or all of those letters will be a demonstration of literacy skills. A high quality early learning setting or childcare service will be able to identify the differences, the stage that a child is at, and develop programs around that child’s needs to further develop relevant skills.
Creating a lifelong love of learning
A high-quality education and care service not only provides care for children but also cultivates a lifelong love of learning in children. Through play, children are actively involved in learning experiences. This active involvement builds children’s understandings of concepts as well as their creative thinking and enquiry based skills that are essential for lifelong learning.
Early learning services develop this love of learning by providing experiences that are multi-sensory and allow children’s choice, engagement and input while catering to their individual interests.
The benefits of high quality early childhood education extend beyond the children to families and our society as a whole. Everyone benefits when we invest in high quality early years education and care!
Jessica is a Leor Educator based in Melbourne. If you are looking for a service that is able to develop learning programs to meet your child’s learning and development needs please contact us to find out how we can assist your family.


Accommodations and Modifications
Accommodations remove learning barriers in the classroom to provide every child with equal access to learning. An example is offering an audio version of classroom text for a student with dyslexia or visual supports for children with ASD. Modifications are changes to what a child is taught and expected to do in class. For example, a student who struggles with spelling may be tested on a different set of words than his peers. See also: Assistive Technology.
|A strategy used to help a student with learning needs access the same curriculum as his peers.||A strategy used to help a student with learning needs achieve the same curriculum as his peers.|
|Curriculum learning expectations and outcomes are the same.||Curriculum learning expectations and outcomes are different.|
|Occurs in the general education classroom.||Occurs in the general education classroom.|
|Tools, materials, technology, visual aids, physical space, and timing are used to help the student access the currculum.||Tools, materials, technology, visual aids, physical space, and timing are used to help the student achieve the currculum.|
|Grading is the same.||Grading is different and appropriate to the student's specific developmental level and learning needs.|
Accommodations for Students with LD
See examples of accommodations that allow students with learning disabilities to show what they know without giving them an unfair advantage. Accommodations are divided into the following categories: how information is presented to the student, how the student can respond, timing of tests and lessons, the learning environment, and test scheduling.
Accommodating Students with Dyslexia in All Classroom Settings
This fact sheet describes reasonable accommodations involving materials, interactive instruction, and student performance to help children with learning problems in general education and special education classrooms.
Dysgraphia Accommodations and Modifications
Learn the signs and symptoms of dysgraphia, see a menu of accommodations and modifications, and view remediation recommendations to help students improve their writing.
Visual schedules and structures
Visual Schedules in the School Setting
A visual schedule communicates the sequence of upcoming activities or events through the use of objects, photographs, icons, or words. Find out how to set up visual schedules in your classroom to support your students.
Visual Structure in the School Setting
Visual structure adds a physical or visual component to tasks to help students with ASD to understand how an activity should be completed. Get ideas on how to implement visual structure in your classroom and support your students' independence.
Do You See What I Mean? Visual Literacy Supports for Students with Disabilities
Many learners with disabilities are visual learners and are best able to understand and remember content when they can see it represented in some way; in other words, they need to “see what we mean.” Three visual supports helpful for teaching and supporting literacy development are described here: picture books, graphic notes, and story kits.
Visual Supports for Students with ASD
Browse this collection of visual supports and other resources to help your students with ASD be successful socially and academically in school. You'll find templates for social rules, classroom rules, emotional support, schedules, and more.
Visual supports in the classroom
Autism expert Brenda Smith Myles talks about the importance of visual supports in the general education classroom. See the full interview with Dr. Myles here >
Using visual supports to teach students with ASD across environments
This webcast from Virginia Commonwealth University provides educators who work with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder an opportunity to learn how to incorporate visual supports into their classrooms. Learn the importance of using visuals within four critical areas: instruction, environment, behavior, and communication.
More resources on accommodations and modifications
Common Accommodations and Modifications in School
There are many ways teachers can help kids who are struggling in school. Here are some common accommodations and modifications that schools and families can discuss as possible options for kids. (Understood)
Modifications: What You Need to Know
For kids with learning and thinking differences, school can be challenging. If a child is struggling, one possible strategy is giving him less schoolwork or simpler assignments. This is called a modification. It’s not the same as an accommodation. While modifications can make school easier for kids, they can have serious drawbacks, too. Here’s what you need to know about academic modifications. (Understood)
Accommodations vs modifications
Hear from parent advocate Amanda Morin on the difference between accommodations and modifications, and how each one impacts a child's experience in the classroom. (From Understood)


Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability involving difficulty in acquiring numeracy skills. A significant group of children fail to progress beyond counting in ones; they cannot calculate efficiently or learn their tables. This title offers a complete assessment tool for investigating maths difficulties in children.
A complete assessment tool for investigating maths difficulties in children, this book also provides advice for implementing the findings into teaching plans. Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability involving difficulty in acquiring numeracy skills. A significant group of children fail to progress beyond counting in ones; they cannot calculate efficiently or learn their tables. This assessment tool is designed to explore which aspects of numeracy the child is struggling to acquire. The evidence from the assessment can then be used to draw up a personalized teaching plan. With clear, step-by-step instructions alongside photocopiable or downloadable assessment sheets, "The Dyscalculia Assessment" contains what you need to pinpoint a child's difficulties with numeracy, and use that information to help the child progress. The Assessment is ideal for use with primary school children, but can easily be adapted for older or younger students, and is invaluable for SENCOs, TAs, educational psychologists and teacher's wishing to support students with maths difficulties in their class.
Why buy from World of Books
Our excellent value books literally don't cost the earth
Featured in 'Read These' section in Times Education Supplement, TES Wales and TES Scottland, 18th June 2010 Both authors draw on their extensive knowledge as teachers of special needs and have compilied a very worthwhile resource designed to identify in detail the strengths and weaknesses of an individual who may be struggling to learn mathematics...--Nasen Special 'This book is essential to anyone working with children with dyscalculia, providing a comprehensive guide to individual assessment. It helps special educators to profile areas of strength and weakness in the different components of mathematics, connecting assessment directly to remedial instruction. The text is easy to read, and takes the teacher through the nuts and bolts of the assessment process from start to finish.' Anna J. Wilson, Lecturer in Learning, University of Canterbury and Honorary Research Associate, University of Auckland, New Zealand 'A comprehensive support for anyone teaching children with significant mathematics difficulties of any kind. It provides an accessible assessment tool with a detailed guide to children's possible responses, based on current research about significant aspects of knowledge and understanding. There is guidance on what to do about the difficulties identified, using a structured approach to learning mathematics which emphasises understanding and reasoning, practical models and talk...This is an extremely useful resource for those working with underachieving children. It combines a direct way of identifying key difficulties with a tried-and-tested teaching approach.' Sue Gifford, PGCE Programme Convenor (Primary), Roehampton University, London, UK "This book is a wonderfully comprehensive and clear guide to assessing and then remediating dyscalculic difficulties." Sue Lilley, Specialist Teacher 'A wonderfully comprehensive and clear guide to assessing and then remediating dyscalculic difficulties... I am confident that it will prove invaluable to me in my work.'--Sanford Lakoff
About Jane Emerson
Jane Emerson is Director of Emerson House School. Patricia Babtie is a freelance SEN teacher.
Table of Contents
Preface.; Introduction; 1. How to use this book; 2. Emerson House Maths Assessment for Dyscalculia; 3. Interpretation of the Assessment; 4. Teaching Suggestions; 5. Games and Activities Further Resources.; Bibliography.; Glossary of Terms.; Index.
The Dyscalculia Assessment by Jane Emerson
Used - Very Good
Continuum Publishing Corporation
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us.


The arts provide children with learning experiences that engage their minds, hearts and bodies. Involvement in music helps to nurture the development of intellectual, social and personal skills. While learning in other activities can often focus on development of a single skill or talent, the arts regularly engage multiple skills and abilities. Music requires the incorporation of eye-hand coordination, rhythm, tonality, symbol recognition, attention span and other factors that represent various aspects of human intellect. In addition, critical thinking, problem-solving and learning how to work together toward shared goals are all skills that are strengthened through music education. Please consider whether your child could benefit from being a part of the band, choir or musical productions at St. Thomas More School.


Print and cut the vegetable cards provided. Select 4 cards at a time and say and clap the words, or say and play on an instrument. Continue creating and playing different patterns.
If no printer is available, fold a piece of paper into 4 squares. Have someone in your house help you write the names of 4 vegetables. Draw a picture of the vegetables and say and clap the words, or say and play on an instrument.
5 Watch and listen to the lyrics movie for Spaceworms
Watch and listen to the lyrics movie for the song.
Listen again and create your own movements for the song.
Add sound effects that match what you hear in the music.
There are lots of fun songs to sing in Lessons 2 and 3.
Repetition is really important in all learning, and each time you repeat a song, you'll improve your performance.
Make a list of your favorite songs.
You can use the search engine on the site to quickly find any song you want to sing again.
10 Music Education is Important
Music Education is Important - whether you are in your school or learning at home!
11 Assessment Suggestions
Assessment Suggestions: (Optional - do this if your teacher asks)
Send a video to your teachers of you singing and playing the instruments for the song “Color the Eggs”.
Send a video or recording to your teacher of you singing the song “Old Mr. Rabbit”.
Send a video of the rhythm pattern you create with the vegetable cards.
Send a video of the movements you create for the last verse of the song “Easter is Here”.
12 Music Is Literacy
A note to parents, teachers, principals and admin.
Music education is important for all learners, and maybe more so during difficult times.
Keep making music while your children are home!


Your Spanish-speaking students will be delighted by the authentic Spanish resources available on Raz-Plus and Reading A-Z. All authentic leveled texts are originally written in Spanish to build cultural knowledge, foster multicultural understanding, develop Spanish reading skills, and support biliteracy.
Authentic texts reflect the natural style of Spanish writing, and motivate Latino readers by affirming their heritage. Through personal and cultural connections to the book topics, young readers will enjoy seeing themselves and their families and friends reflected in these resources.
For native English speakers in dual-language programs, these resources will expand their understanding of Spanish writing styles and multicultural perspectives. For native Spanish speakers in bilingual and dual-language programs, authentic resources build transferable literacy skills in Spanish with the goal of biliteracy in Spanish and English.
Serie de Libros en Español Auténtico / Authentic Spanish Book Series
Each captivating collection of books within this authentic series is built around a central theme reflecting Spanish-speaking countries and cultures. Multiple levels of difficulty encourage differentiated instruction, while detailed lesson plans, quizzes, discussion cards, and other supplementary materials assist in comprehension, all available in printable, projectable, and digital formats.
Our fascinating collection of Spanish biographies profile accomplished Latino/as. Help your students learn about their own history and traditional culture by allowing them to immerse themselves in stories about great Latino people.
To support differentiated instruction, each biography in the collection is available at three reading levels and is accompanied by support resources, including lesson plans, activities, quizzes, discussion questions, and grammar instruction, to assist in fluency and comprehension. Encourage multicultural understanding by bringing these biographies into your classroom, featuring inspiring historic celebrities like Frida Kahlo, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Celia Cruz, and Lionel Messi.
Wondering what it’s like to live in Argentina, Guatemala, or Ecuador? Students can explore eight different countries in the Spanish-speaking world by reading these books. An important part of a Spanish dual-language program, this collection allows readers to observe life in various Spanish-speaking countries through the eyes of fictional characters who live there.
Each title is available at three levels of difficulty and offers its own support resources for instruction, including lesson plans, phonics instruction, grammar activities, maps, discussion questions, quizzes, and more. Foster multicultural understanding while improving comprehension and analytical skills with these cheerful and fascinating books.
Our authentic Legends and Myths collection introduces students to stories that have been preserved over time from a variety of Spanish-speaking peoples, places, and cultures. Use these wonderful stories to deepen students’ understanding of the history, values, and culture of diverse communities.
Each book in this collection is written at three levels of difficulty, making it easy to differentiate instruction. Every title is accompanied by book-specific support resources including lesson plans, activities, maps, discussion questions, quizzes, phonics instruction, and more. As you help your students immerse themselves in these treasured stories, you’ll be fostering multicultural understanding while building analytical skills.
Evaluaciones en Español / Spanish Assessments
Assess your students' Spanish reading levels with authentic Spanish Benchmark Passages and Running Records.
These short leveled texts are essential tools to help identify the instructional reading level of each of your students. Written originally in Spanish, these passages act as one step in the three-step process of assessing reading behavior and comprehension or determining whether students are prepared to move to the next level. Each level offers one nonfiction and one fiction passage, both on the same general topic and usually 1-2 pages long.
Destrezas de Fundaciones en Español / Spanish Foundational Skills
Don’t miss these essential resources, all created in authentic Spanish!
Motivate your students to listen, read, and sing along with the traditional rhythms and brightly colored illustrations of our Spanish Songs and Rhymes. Originally created in Spanish, these books and fun recordings bring beautiful authentic poems and familiar melodies to your students. Along with their accompanying resources, the songs and rhymes help develop fluency and comprehension. Like our other resources, these can be printed, projected, or used digitally to provide a range of learning opportunities for your students.
Fun photos and colorful images introduce students to the letters of the alphabet. One of the most important steps in literacy, these books and their accompanying resources use pictures and words to represent each featured letter.
Help your students practice the 270 most commonly used Spanish words, including sight words! These flashcards are a fun, simple, effective way to reinforce important vocabulary and learn Spanish language skills.


Mother Goose Time Preschool Learning Program
Mother Goose Time is a high quality research-based early childhood educational curriculum designed for preschool-aged children. It has been around for almost 30 years and has been designed by early childhood educators. ISPS will be implementing the Mother Goose Time Curriculum as the backbone of educational content. Teaching methods will generally involve a thematic unit every month with sub units weekly. There will be supplementation through other educational resources throughout the school year depending on the need and interests of the children. Please click on the link below to learn more about the Mother Goose Time Preschool Curriculum. You will find it to be very high quality with several resources for parents and teachers of preschool-aged children.
Little passports is a social studies subscription service for children. Each month we will learn about a new country on our global adventures of pre-k at Imagination Station Preschool. We will learn about specific cultures, languages, traditions, and foods.
Going on these adventures will help children to understand that our world is vast place with many different kinds of people, places, landscapes, traditions, and cultures. Implementing this curriculum in a pre-k classroom will allow children to value the differences between people within our classroom, neighborhoods, communities, and the world.
ABC Mouse Online Preschool Learning Program
At Imagination Station Preschool, your child will be given access to the award winning online preschool curriculum. This program has content for 3 yr old children up to kindergarten. The students at ISPS will be given time to work on the computer program and will be given access to it at home as well in order to extend the curriculum from the classroom. This program is available on handheld devices as well. ABC mouse includes curriculum in literacy, math, science, and social studies. It includes over 7,000 learning activities for your child and allows parents to easily track the progress of their children. This is a fantastic program that my three children used throughout preschool. My children loved ABC Mouse and, I believe it had a significant impact on their learning.
Other Curriculum Resources
Other curriculum resources that will be implemented at Imagination Station Preschool include KidSoup, Story Twiggles, and ABC Twiggles. KidSoup is a resource library for lesson plans, activities, printables, crafts and games. Story Twiggles is an online and printable resource for books which includes alphabet books, letters of the alphabet stories, storybooks, and EarTwiggles books that are engaging stories with appealing plots featuring the Story Twiggles characters. ABC Twiggles is a multi-sensory approach to teaching the letters of the alphabet. It includes letter games, crafts, worksheets, activities, books, and snacks ideas.
The Story Sack Family Reading Program at Imagination Station Preschool
We will also have a monthly book club for our students at Imagination Station Preschool. Children will take home a “story sack” and be given the opportunity to read the story with their families. The “story sack” will include extension activities that can be completed at home with help from a parent. This may include literacy, math, science, and social studies activities, creative arts, and fine motor skill development etc. Each month there will be a different story with different activities. The children will bring the story sack home with them and then share their learning experiences with the class during a designated circle time.
For more information about KidSoup, Story Twiggles, and ABC Twiggles please click the links below:


English Page Content Page ContentWhile English is spoken in most Australian homes, you may find these resources useful for including further English learning in your child's educational program. Online resources: English in the Australian CurriculumLearning resources from the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. English in the Victorian CurriculumLearning resources from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. English for the Australian CurriculumResources for English and literacy education developed by Australian educators from a range of states, territories and educational settings. Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA)Ideas and inspiration from the organisation behind the CBCA Book of the Year Awards and Book Week. Learning PotentialIdeas for turning regular activities into numeracy or literacy learning opportunities, provided by the Commonwealth Government. Literacy Teaching ToolkitA toolkit providing practical advice for high-impact teaching practices that improve outcomes in reading, writing and speaking and listening. National Literacy and Numeracy WeekAn annual week that helps to raise awareness of the importance of literacy and numeracy. ABC EducationPrograms, competitions, games, videos and other media related to learning areas including English. Australian Children's Television FoundationLearning resources to connect parts of the Australian Curriculum, to Australian children’s television. SpeakolaA collection of recorded speeches covering a variety of topics, with many given by Australian speakers. Literacy and Numeracy Tips to Help Your Child Every DayThe Victorian Department of Education and Training’s handbook to help parents support the development of their child’s literacy and numeracy skills.Destinations: State Library of VictoriaAustralia's oldest public library, providing access to physical resources, galleries, reading rooms, online collections, events and more. Public Libraries VictoriaTools to find nearby libraries and access related services and programs.


You can listen to this audiobook in formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, MPEG4, TTA (compression GZ, RAR, ZIP, DMG)
Total pages original book: 144
Includes a PDF summary of 11 pages
Duration of the summary (audio): 8M28S (2.2 MB)
Description or summary of the audiobook: Explore the wonders of the universe through hands-on fun! In Astronomy Lab for Kids, science educator Michelle Nichols has compiled 52 labs and activities that use everyday materials from around the house to encourage kids, their friends, and their families to look up, down, and around at everything from the shadows on the ground to the stars in the sky. Mini astronomers will learn about things such as the size and scale of planets using sandwich cookies and tennis balls, how to measure the speed of light with a flat candy bar and a microwave, how to make a simple telescope with magnifying glasses, and so much more! Kids begin their journey through the stars by creating a science journal to track their experiments and record their observations. Foundational skills, like how to make observations, measure angles, and determine directions, are laid out first. The lessons expand with explorations of size and scale; light, motion, and gravity; and then on to investigations of our Solar System and finding constellations in the night sky. Each lab includes:Time it will take to completeMaterials listSafety tips and setup hintsStep-by-step text and photosThe science behind the funVariations or ideas for taking the project furtherChildren of all ages and experience levels will love the hands-on activities and adults will love spending quality time learning with their kids or students. The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus-all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.
Other categories, genre or collection: Sciences, Space, Children's Literature Studies: General, Popular Astronomy & Space
Download servers: Openload, FreakShare, 4Shared, Google Drive, BitShare, MEGA, SendMyWay, Torrent, Turbobit.net, Mediafire. Compressed in GZ, RAR, ZIP, DMG


Teaching with the Collection
This is a living curriculum section from the field featuring curricula, lesson plans, and resources on Judy Chicago and feminist art for teaching k-12. Log in to add your curricula, lessons, and links to resources.
FEMINIST ART RESOURCES IN EDUCATION (FARE)
Lesson Plans, Multi Media Resources, Regional Programming and much more…
K-12 READING LIST
Suggestions for young, middle, and high school readers
LINKS & TFAP BLOGS
LInks to organizations, publications and more…
WebQuest examples from Penn State AED322: Visual Culture and Educational Technology that employ Judy Chicago’s Participatory Art Pedagogy:
- Trash Talk (6th grade)
- Un-masking Identity (middle school)
- Miniature Monuments (7th grade)
- Perspective Photography (7th grade)
- Creature Creations (8th grade)
- Sculpting Ideas (9th grade)
- Equality for All (9th grade)
- Sun Salutations (9th grade)
- Video Game Creation Lab (middle & high school)
Using the Judy Chicago Art Education Collection with High School Students in the Classroom:
I choose to center the class discussions and visual focus on Judy Chicago’s Holocaust Project in order to facilitate dialogue among issues relevant to a diverse group of high school students.
- Art and History, The Holocaust Project http://sites.psu.edu/artlinkstohistory/ (High School)
Using the Judy Chicago Art Collection in the University Classroom
Possibilities include: Using the on-line website, going through the Chicago archived boxes, engaging in the Dialogue Portal questions, and viewing the videos online can open many directions for discussion. What is Feminist Art? Can men partake within the dialogue? How does this effect our everyday life?
- Leslie Sotomayor used the Special Collections archive and the embedded videos with her class, assigning students to continue researching the Collection and to choose one piece to write a critical analysis/reflection of the feminist art piece, bridging connections from Judy Chicago’s art pieces to the present. Click here for her reflections on the use of the Collection.