Bill Ayers: How To Use Comics In The ClassroomPosted by Claire Daniel on February 06, 2012
On Saturday, February 4, over 60 educators braved the first snowstorm of 2012 to participate in The 12th Annual Language Series opening workshop, The Language of Sequential Art: Comics in the Classroom.
Throughout the day, Bank Street alum Bill Ayers and cartoonist Ryan Alexander-Tanner led dual-language, bilingual, Special Ed., and monolingual teachers through a theoretical and practical exploration of comics (which is, as they said time and again, a medium—and not a genre) as a powerful tool for literacy and social justice in the classroom.
Ayers began by sharing his own introduction to comics, skillfully illustrating his own “aha moment” through the introduction of his classic book, To Teach, where, for the third edition, Ayers partnered up with Alexander-Tanner to reinterpret the text as a graphic novel.
Over five panels, Ayers’ cartoon character comes to the realization that by combining words and pictures, “a third, all-new form” is created.
Where at first he thought he was simply employing Alexander-Tanner to illustrate his words, what he discovered through the process was, in his words, “a dazzling dance of the dialectic”—a collaboration “where reader’s imaginations are called upon to make connections and invent meaning” in a much more accessible and democratic way.
Literacy, for Ayers, goes beyond the usual skills of reading, writing and speaking. For him, literacy is access to the culture. It’s access to meaning making.
“In a complex culture such as ours,” he said to the audience, “being a democratic person requires engagement with different media and different ways of interpreting and making sense of the world. We need to think of literacy as something that gives everyone access to everything.”
A tall order, he admitted, but one that visual literacy makes easier to serve.
Locating Possibility: Sequential Art in Teaching
For hands-on practice using comics as a teaching tool, Alexander-Tanner and Ayers had the audience participate in an interactive exercise on the theme of ‘snow.’ Using an empty six-paneled comic block template, each person started a narrative in the first block and then passed the paper to the right to continue the story through illustrations and words by the next person.
As they completed the exercise, the audience discussed with each other their own thoughts and experiences with sequential art. Student teacher Claire Hiatt, who enjoys working with 3rd grade students as they make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn, commented: “During my student teaching last semester, I noticed that my students struggling with that transition had a lot more success with image-based text.”
“That’s how social justice fits into it,” 3rd grade teachers Melanie Macioce and Denise Oehl mused. “There’s an entry point for everybody. In that everybody is able to enter in and understand it.”
Later in the day, participants broke into groups according to their classroom level to construct a panel that told a story about ‘bullying.’ Dual-language 5th grade instructor Marisol Parra divulged that her group plans to use the one they created when they cover Western Expansion to motivate her students.
“We wanted to look at this from the pioneer and Native American point of view,” she explained as she held up her paper. “I feel that this method is very beneficial for students in a dual-language setting. Fluent and basic students can convey the same ideas whether through illustration or with illustration and text. It helps both groups come through with the same message.”
Luisa Liliana Costa, coordinator of the Language Series, concurs: "Comics is a medium for all grades. It's an enjoyable way of accessing information that can be used effectively in our classrooms with a diverse group of learners. I will continue searching for experts on the use of comics to invite them to Bank Street!"
Other events in the Language Series:
January 28, 2012 8:30 am – 1:30 pm: Supporting Language and Literacy Development in Content Area Classrooms with Dr. Nancy Cloud
February 4, 2012 8:30 am – 1:30 pm: Exploring Diversity in Our Lives and in Our Classrooms with Kelvina Butcher and Melissa Bernardin
Bill Ayers portrait sketched by cartoonist Cody Pickrodt during the workshop.tagged bill ayers, comics, language series, literacy, social justice,


Teaching the Unteachable: What Should Art Schools Teach Asks Dave Beech
Beech, Dave, Art Monthly
Paul Kristeller, in his pioneering 1951 study of the historical formation of the 'modern system of the arts', says that the modern belief that 'art cannot be learned, and thus often becomes involved in the curious endeavour to teach the unteachable' was unknown to the ancients, who conversely equated art with skill--which was understood precisely as 'something that can be taught and learned'. The difficulties and controversies associated with teaching art arise as a result of the transition from the various arts to the singular concept of art in general.
The various arts had always been ordered but the 'grouping together of the visual arts with poetry and music into the system of the fine arts', Kristeller says, 'did not exist in classical antiquity, in the Middle Ages or in the Renaissance'. There was no immediate change in the methods of teaching the skills required for the fine arts from the methods of training artisans in the arts, although when academies replaced guilds the teaching became more scholarly. The single most important issue was that of life drawing, which was the chief reason for setting up the academy and distinguished it from the guild workshop and the later schools of design. More severe pedagogical difficulties arose when the fine arts were reconfigured according to the concept of art as such.
'We have been saying "art" in the singular and without any other specification', Jean-Luc Nancy observes, 'only since the romantic period.' Nancy turns his back on modern usage, preferring the technical specificity of the multiple arts of painting, sculpture and so on rather than the abstract concept of art, but in doing so he suppresses the material embodiment of the general concept of art in the specific institutions of the art museum, the art magazine, university departments of art history, art writing and curating, and the art school. Within the real circumstances of a culture ordered by the concept of art in general, the insistence on the specificity of the various arts is, ironically, the act of a nostalgic attachment to an abstract principle. Art education must face up to the non-specificity of its discipline or it is in danger of reverting to an abstract and fanciful pedagogy of craft. The question of how to teach art can be clarified, therefore, by studying the transition from the arts to art that took place in the 18th century.
Art differentiated itself from the arts by incorporating them into its broader and more abstract category. The pioneers of the new conception of art in the 18th century had little or no interest in drawing a precise line between art and the arts but, on the contrary, blurred the line in the interest of accomplishing the hegemony of art over the arts. The first history of art, rather than a history of painters and sculptors or a history of antiquities, written by Johann Winckelmann in 1764, applied the new concept of art in general to Ancient Greek statues and paintings. So, when the entry for Fine Arts was placed under the entry for Art in the Encyclopedic in 1781, art in the singular preserved the arts in the plural within it. When the Louvre was established in 1793-99, it also naturalised the new concept of art within a historical display of the continuity of art throughout history divided into the arts of various schools. This is why Theodor Adorno was right to observe that 'the arts do not vanish completely in art'.
Tensions between the new concept of art and the old pedagogical institutions of the arts persisted into the 19th century. By 1861 Gustave Courbet proclaimed, 'I who believe that every artist should be his own master, cannot think of making myself into a professor.' To say, as Courbet did, 'I deny that art can be taught', was to express precisely the chasm between art and the arts, the latter understood since antiquity as a skill that can be taught. The Paris Academy of Arts--note the plural--did not teach its students to be artists except insofar as it trained them in the arts (of drawing, painting, carving, casting and so on). …


For many teachers finding a valid way to assess
a student's writing is a difficult task. A collection of the students writing showcased in a portfolio is one
way that a teacher can use to determine the progress of the student's writing skills.
This website was created for Elementary Education teachers that are
trying to decide if they want to institute writing portfolios in their classes.
The three key elements needed for successful portfolio writing in
an elementary classroom are:
I. Teachers directions should be clear, specific, and include the assessment rubric
prior to starting the portfolio.
II. Students should reflect on their experience of choosing the pieces that they
III. Make it enjoyable for the students or they will not want to write.


Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
As English has evolved as a lingua franca along with globalisation, ways of learning English and its linguistic features are fertile areas for TESOL researchers. Research in this area explores a range of issues relating to the teaching and learning of English as a second language, including: The teaching of listening, reading, writing and speaking; teaching and learning grammar and vocabulary; socio-cultural aspects of English as a second language education. Assessment of learners also features prominently given the importance of language standards in regulating access to education resources and systems in English-speaking countries. Phenomenological and contextual topics that are also investigated include second language literacy development, individual differences in second language learning, bilingual education, the use of English for specific purposes, and cross-cultural issues in second language teaching and learning.


All children must have an opportunity to share the joy of choral music participation—whether in school, church, or community choirs. What happens before the singing begins, is critical to supporting, sustaining, and nurturing choirs to give every child the opportunity to experience the wonder of choral singing.
Based on years of experience conducting and teaching, Barbara Tagg brings a wealth of practical information about ways of organizing choirs. From classroom choirs, to mission statements, boards of directors, commissioning, auditioning, and repertoire, Before the Singing will inspire new ways of thinking about how choirs organize their daily tasks.
The collaborative community that surrounds a choir includes conductors, music educators, church choir directors, board members, volunteers, staff, administrators, and university students in music education and nonprofit arts management degree programs. For all these, Tagg offers a wealth of knowledge about creating a positive environment to support artistry, creativity, dedication, and a commitment to striving for excellence.


return to WIL home page
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Classroom instruction at WIL is guided by a balanced view of literacy development. The document that best captures our orientation is Learning to Read and Write:Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children. This 1998 publication was jointly produced by the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and presents a "continuum of children's development in early reading and writing."
Head Start children may mostly be seen as being in the phase of Awareness and Exploration. Our stance at WIL is to maximize the opportunities for children to notice, developing their awareness through the many opportunities we present to explore the delightful and complex world of literacy.
WIL classrooms are literacy-rich. They abound with books -- good literature and class-produced. They offer opportunities for literacy-related play and experimentation with written forms. What they are not are classrooms in which children are skilled and drilled. Most Head Start children need opportunities to develop delight in the world that print affords us.
However, children are apprentices in the literate world, and the person who can and should guide them is their teacher. WIL includes 2 types of daily teacher-led instructionA-Rhyme-A-Week, designed to develop phonological awarenessand
A-Book-A-Week, designed to introduce children to the playful world of printed text.
At WIL, the web we weave to support our children includes their families. The Home Book Reading Program is designed to enable teachers to easily supply families with strong literacy-development support.
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About A-Book-A-Week Instruction
A-Book-A-Week instruction makes use of the 101 Best Books that have been purchased for the Head Start home-school library. Each month, four of the books from the library are highlighted. These books have been selected based on common themes found in preschools -- holidays, colors, and counting. We have also highlighted books that especially support phonological awareness.
Our downloadable instruction for each book comes in the form of 4 activity cards, one for each of the categories we believe to be important in children's development of literacy:Language Development, with attention to vocabulary and syntactic structures. (WIL's A-Rhyme-A-Week deepens this particular emphasis)
Acts of Writing, including letter-sound relationships, print concepts, and genre knowledge
Artist's Craft, with attention to the ways authors and illustrators have created their works
Lots of Links, including intertextual connections, connections to other content areas, and connections to children's lives
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WIL's A-Book-A-Week Instruction
During the course of the year, we will occasionally be adding other titles to the list below. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat 4.0, you will need to download it to open and use these PDF files.
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The benefits of music education are wide and deep. Learning music requires discipline and an active commitment. However, the benefits derived from music enlightenment enhance many aspects of our lives. In addition, music can make a huge difference in a child’s life, as well as improve personal enrichment and life skills.
Benefits of music education
Music plays an important role in the lives of many people throughout the world. Children, adolescents, and young adults are especially influenced by a variety of music, musicians, and performers. However, there is more to music than merely listening.
Music improves memory, vocabulary, reading, and learning skills. It also enhances motor dexterity and listening abilities. Students trained in music may interact better with their learning settings, as well as write better and improve their ability in using a computer. Music education also helps in learning a second language.
Additionally, taking an active approach to learning music strengthens specific brain functions that help in improving abstract thinking and developing complex math skills.
Children with learning disabilities benefit from music education, in that they learn how to filter background noises that would normally interfere with their learning process.
Low-income students especially profit from high amounts of art and music education when compared to low-income students with low quantities of art education, according to the National Education Association. Those students living in families with less income, but with more art and music education are 5 times less likely to drop out of school, obtain higher GPAs, and are 3 times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree.
In addition, low-income students who involve themselves in art and music education are more likely to obtain employment with the potential of future growth, as opposed to children who do not get involved in learning art and music.
Additional benefits of music training
Learning more about music increases self-esteem. It also helps in the development of creativity; it spawns satisfaction, personal enrichment, and enjoyment of life.
The benefits of music are found in every civilization around the world; each culture has their unique form of musical expression.
A Columbia University study suggests that students who learn arts, including music, are better equipped to express themselves, have an elevated level of self-confidence, and are more willing and able to cooperate with their peers and teachers.
Music has an amazing capability to influence and have an effect on how we feel. Music has a way of stimulating the brain’s reward system, while creating feelings of relief, comfort, and contentment.
For many, reflecting on the benefits of music education is worth consideration. Scientific evidence gives credence to how learning music is beneficial to our educational and neurological well-being.
Music inspires both young and old. It is essential for learning and growth. Music can be uplifting--it can motivate.
Chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Eric Rasmussen shares his thoughts on the importance of music education, “There is a massive benefit from being musical that we don’t understand, but it’s individual. Music is for music’s sake. The benefit of music education for me is about being musical. It gives you have a better understanding of yourself. The horizons are higher when you are involved in music. Your understanding of art and the world, and how you can think and express yourself, are enhanced.”
For the young, music education is a vital and instrumental part of life. However, it is never too late to enjoy what music has to offer. Picking up a musical instrument and learning how to play is a perfect avenue for some.
On the other hand, aside from the notable neurological and educational enhancements that music endows us with; allocating a little time to partake in the pleasure of listening to a favorite musical performance may prove especially worthy and pleasurable.


Maryland is one of more than 40 states where Common Core Standards have been adopted by public school systems, but it seems parents are having the most trouble understanding the changes.
Now Carroll County is trying to help with a new video campaign.
The path to at least understanding common core math, for elementary school students, may be as easy as your computer. Here's why: A good number of the math lessons are now on the Internet.
At Mechanicsville Elementary School in Gamber, second-grade students are wrapping up another year of math common core style, but the lessons won't end with the last day of school.
The new math concepts have been recorded and posted to the school system website, which helps students and parents learn all summer long.
"They can see what we are actually teaching in the classroom. The video shows exactly what we do in the classroom," Carroll County teacher Jenn Heim said.
The goal is to help more parents understand the math changes.
"So it's pretty exciting to have a place where we can learn the way that they're learning and help them further with their work," parent Sara Abbott said.
And that's what school officials had in mind when they started recording the common core math lessons earlier this year.
"If we have a parent group that doesn't know how to help their children at home, that just brings out their frustration, and then they may be showing kids different method that maybe their kids aren't ready for because we learned it that way. We always go back to how we were taught," Carroll County Supervisor of Elementary Education Donn Hicks said.
"The great thing about these videos is that the videos have Carroll County teachers, but they have the pause button, too, so they are able to slow down and take these strategies at their own pace," teacher Jen Dorsey said.
That goes a long way toward making the lessons plain for parents and fellow educators.
"These videos help not just parents, but believe it or not, teachers, so they can say, 'This is why things work the way they do when we solve math problems,'" math supervisor Caroline Chucko said.
The videos run between three and five minutes. Another 30 or so lessons are set to be recorded over the summer.


Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
Texts & ? approaches advocated
[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]Marvin Bartel
Sun, 10 Dec 1995 22:34:30 -0800 (PST)
At 01:34 PM 12/6/95 -0600, "Leon R. Nuell" <lrnuell
>Take a look at Herberholz' ART WORKS FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS. We
>actually use this for our first course and then use the Hurwitz book
>selectively for methods.
I also use the Herberholz book. It is the best book I have found for a
class of Elementary Education juniors who take one Art Methods course.
However, I am quite ambivalent about the book. While I appreciate much of
it, I am bothered by the large number of suggested art lessons that use the
art history as motivation for studio work. I have always believed it is
better to motivate students to produce art work from their own experiences,
imaginations, and/or direct observations. Showing examples beforehand seems
like giving the answers before they do the problems. How can children feel
it is really their work?
I ask my methods students to present and discuss the art history
AFTER the media work. The media work is to build a frame of reference for
the Art History or Other Culture examples and discussions. Instead of
showing "motivational" examples before the media work, I ask them to plan
for hands-on preliminary practice, sketches, idea lists, and planning to
prepare them to produce media work. Children are to develop content based
on their Own Lives, their Own Times, and Their Own Culture - not to mimic
that of Other Times, Other Artisans, and Other Cultures. They are not make
Totem Poles based on those of Northwest Native Americans. They are to make
sculptures to symbolize themselves as groups and/or individuals in order to
better identify with and understand the Totems of the Native Americans.
It is one thing for a child to get inspired by an artist's work to
the point of wanting to borrow the style or content for her/himself. I
might understand such a motivation on the part of a child who is trying to
learn without the benefit of a teacher. Indeed, many self-taught artists
have no other way to learn. What I don't understand, is professional art
texts and trained art teachers directing students to produce derivative
work. What does this teach about integrity? I am apparently holding a
minority position in this matter, because most curriculum authors have no
scruples about it, excussing the practice with the arguement, "many artists
do it." How about some response?
Maybe reply: Ann Hedgcock: "Re: Texts & ? approaches advocated"
Maybe reply: jonmon: "Re: Texts & ? approaches advocated"
Maybe reply: Marvin Bartel: "Re: Texts & ? approaches advocated"


New research from the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health shows that prenatal exposure to a ubiquitous household chemical called butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) can increase a child’s risk for developing eczema. The research not only shows a risk for eczema, but also points out that all but one of the women in their study showed some level of exposure to the chemical BBzB which is widely used in vinyl flooring, artificial leather and other materials. The researchers measured exposure to BBzB via urine tests during the third trimester of pregnancy. After the babies were born, the mothers in the study were asked if their child had been diagnosed with eczema. The final result: onset of eczema by age 2 was 52% more likely for children whose mothers had been exposed to high concentrations of BBzP. While it’s clear that BBzP can cause problems, what’s less clear is how this chemical actually raises the risk for eczema. The researchers estimated that allergies might be a possible mechanism, but after testing the children for common indoor allergens, they found no evidence of a link between BBzP exposure and allergy.
This is important research because neither eczema or BBzP and other phthalates are a picnic. Eczema is characterized by itchy rashes, small raised bumps which may leak fluid and crust over, thickened, cracked or scaly skin and super sensitive and raw skin due to constant itching. This condition may occur on the face, scalp or other areas of the body and is common in young children. Allan C. Just, PhD, first author on the Mailman School study notes, “While hereditary factors, allergens, and exposure to tobacco smoke are known to contribute to the condition, our study is the first to show that prenatal exposure to BBzB is a risk factor.” Past research shows that exposure to BBzP and other phthalates may delay motor skill development in young children, mess with their immune system and possibly increase risks for obesity and behavioral problems. On top of that, as frequent Inhabitots readers will know, phthalates are also known to disrupt the endocrine system. Although this new research is a bit confounding, meaning the researchers can’t nail down why BBzP causes eczema, why not just avoid as many chemicals as you can while pregnant? Already we know that most pregnant women carry far too many harmful chemicals in their bodies. You can cut your chemical exposure while pregnant by eating organic, avoiding plastics, using safe body care products and eating less meat and fresh, not canned foods.
Lead image by christgr via sxc.


Scholastic has just issued a breathtaking proclamation, The Reading Bill of Rights, that says, among other things, that the ability to read is the birthright of every child in the world, and that "every child should have access to books, magazines, newspapers, computers, e-readers, and text on phones."
Missing from this inspiring statement is how children will get access to books, magazines, etc. Children of poverty have very little access to reading material at home, at school and in their communities. The obvious source is the library, and research confirms that access to a good library is related to literacy development, independent of the effect of poverty.
But libraries in high-poverty areas are not well-funded, and have fewer materials and are open fewer hours than those in low-poverty areas.
I hope Scholastic will become an aggressive, outspoken, and strong proponent of better funding for public and school libraries, especially in high-poverty areas, and more support for librarians who understand what children really like to read.


Teaching K-6 Mathematics
Routledge – 2002 – 334 pages
This developmentally sound, research-based, practical text speaks directly to preservice elementary mathematics students about the multitude of ways they can help their future students learn to see the power, beauty, necessity, and usefulness of mathematics in the world.Part 1 deals with guiding principles that permeate the text, while Parts 2-11 deal with the specific NCTM Standards for grades K-6. Teaching K-6 Mathematics:
*is aligned with the current NCTM Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics;
*integrates content and methodology;
*emphasizes use of technology as a teaching/learning tool;
*stresses problem solving;
*provides basic information on current research in mathematics education;
*focuses on identification of error patterns and analysis;
*uses a down-to-earth, friendly writing style that engages the student rather than prescribing what to do; and
*includes many activities and exercises, including games, tricks, and amusements that can be used in the classroom to increase student interest in mathematics.
*Technology is integral throughout the text. Students are expected to perform Internet searches, investigate new sites appropriate for elementary students, sample new software that could be used in the classroom, and develop ways to blend calculators into the curriculum.
*Manipulatives are considered essential for students to learn elementary mathematics concepts. Cuisenaire rods, base 10- blocks, chips, number lines, and geoboards are all part of the manipulative landscape that is created in this text.
*Careful attention is given to blending rote work, developmental activities, fun, application, technology, manipulatives, assessment, and planning, so that prospective teachers become accustomed to using varied approaches and decision making as a curriculum is determined.
*Tricks, Activities, and Games (TAG) provide a wealth of ideas to attract students to learning mathematics.
"This textbook is a wonderful guide through the many developmental aspects of teaching mathematics effectively. It is a fine example of content and methodology integration, with special attention given to learning modalities, problem solving, technology, error patterns, and analysis….take advantage of this informally written text and discover for yourself its breadth and depth."
—American Journal of Psychology
"A 'nuts and bolts' approach to the teaching of elementary mathematics….well presented and easy to follow."
—Charles E. Lamb
Texas A&M University
"A good beginning point for preservice teachers in elementary education….Students will find this text comfortable, yet informative to read."
—Trena L. Wilkerson
Contents: Preface. As a Teacher of Mathematics: An Introduction. Guiding Principles for School Mathematics. Number and Operations. Algebra in the Elementary Classroom. Geometry in the Elementary Classroom. Measurement in the Elementary Classroom. Data Analysis and Probability. Problem Solving. Reasoning and Proof. Communication. Connections. Representation.


The Canucks Hit Vancouver Streets
Raise-a-Reader Day and the Canucks Family Education Centre team up to battle low literacy levels in Vancouver.
Since its national inception three years ago, Raise-a-Reader has raised more than $2.8 million, $1.6 million of which was raised in Vancouver, in support of literacy programs in Canada. Each fall, thirteen cities nation wide gather high profile community members-- such as members of the Vancouver Canucks-and volunteers together to "hawk" CanWest newspapers in exchange for donations. The $740,000 raised in BC in 2004 due to newspaper sales, corporate sponsorship and provincial government donations provided financial assistance and resources to family literacy programs and libraries in BC, such as the Canucks Family Education Centre located on Vancouver's eastside.
Although Canada's literacy levels lead internationally, consistently outranking the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, Literacy BC reports that more than forty percent of working age people in BC have trouble with the everyday demands of reading, writing and using numbers. The issue affecting society, Literacy BC warns, is that people who struggle with these basic skills are less likely to gain and keep employment, earn a high income, participate fully in society, and be involved in their children's education. Family literacy programs emphasize that literacy is the universal human right to gain knowledge and express thought, and by removing barriers to literacy, strong communities can be built.
By responding to the needs of the community, Vancouver is paving the path to increased national literacy levels. Raise-a-Reader is an initiative that was started in Vancouver in 1997 by Vancouver Canucks Community Partnerships Director, Debbie Butt. She started this venture with Vancouver Sun publisher, Dennis Skulsky during her time working with the Vancouver Grizzlies. Raise-a-Reader became a national initiative in 2001 due to its success at raising awareness about and funds for family literacy. In 2002, the Canucks Family Education Centre-- a partnership between Literacy BC, Britannia Community Services Centre, and the Canucks for Kids Fund-was formed. The Canucks for Kids Fund, as one of the primary beneficiaries of Raise-a-Reader, used the money raised to help open the Canucks Family Education Centre, donating $150,000 over three years.
The Canucks Family Education Centre is located in east Vancouver, a community that suffers from high levels of poverty and substance abuse. The mantra of this unique centre that combines the efforts of educators, families and social agencies, is to positively impact low literacy levels on Vancouver's Eastside. It plans on identifying and correcting gaps in existing literacy programs, such as implementing a "No Excuse" learning environment for parents and children. The Centre believes that the family is a learning unit, which is why it mediates intergenerational opportunities for learning: it provides hot lunches and daycare so that parents can take advantage of an environment that allows them to read with, and oftentimes learn to read with, their children.
By promoting reading and learning as valued family activities, parents can begin to support their children's literacy development. Literacy BC emphasizes that parents need to be involved in their children's education, including reading to them at an early age. By exposing children to a literary environment, parents can place their children at a great educational advantage. Literacy BC statistics show that children who are read to at a young age may have as much as several thousand hours of one-on-one pre-reading experience under their belts upon entering grade one, which often contrasts with children who have never opened a book. Without crucial parental support, the cycle of under-education continues from generation to generation. With support from family literacy programs-- like those supported by Raise-a-Reader and those found in the Canucks Family Education Centre-- children who might otherwise have been educationally and developmentally behind their peers enter school on par. Furthermore, by providing an environment where parents and children can learn to read together, it is possible to increase overall literacy levels in Canada.
Due to the success of the programs offered at the Canucks Family Education Centre, it is expanding to other schools in the east Vancouver area, including Grandview, Strathcona, Garibaldi and several others. As the necessity of literacy increases (ABC Canada estimates that about 45 percent of new jobs created this decade will require sixteen years of education), programs that aim to reverse low literacy levels in target communities, such as east Vancouver, become more and more beneficial. Please support Raise-a-Reader Day in Vancouver by purchasing a Vancouver Sun Newspaper on Thursday, September 29, 2005.


Art Buddies program creates hands-on teaching experience for art education majors
According to the National Center of Learning Disabilities, students with learning disabilities retain information better by incorporating the arts with academics. It was also reported that these individuals are exceptional artists and, according to Grand Valley State University Art Education professor Katalin Zaszlavik, youths with learning disabilities are just that: exceptional.
In 2003, GVSU professor Catherine Timmermannis partnered with Rockford Public Schools to create a hands-on teaching experience for future special needs teachers in art called Art Buddies. Two classes make up the Art Buddies program, which assigns two to three exceptional students to one GVSU student.
“As part of their first art education courses, it is important to expose my students to a variety of experiences where they can observe work with their future audience, (which are) K-12 students; among these will be students with special needs,” Zaszlavik said.
The program allows the GVSU students to design a lesson plan and adapt it to their art buddies. Throughout the year, the art buddies produce four projects alongside their mentors.
“Art buddies bring their own voice, idea and visual solution to the same big idea or theme and avoid a cookie-cutter or one-fits-all, art-making activity, which is quite an undermining pedagogical practice but sometimes might be necessary,” Zaszlavik said.
The relationships created through the program radiate an impact outside of the classroom, said Rockford teacher Amanda Cavazos.
“The program has instilled a greater confidence in many of the students. They are proud of their work and they have an increased self-esteem,” Cavazos said. “This art class has increased many of the students’ desire to learn more about art, history and the cultures around them.”
The purpose of the program is to promote practicum, compassion, open-mindedness and advocacy.
“We learn a little bit of classroom management because it is a different type of setting where we have one student per two to three art buddies. So we kind of learn that this wouldn’t be the real classroom, but it’s just a great experience to have a one-on-one relationship with (the students),” said art education student Chelsea Sall. “We learn to encourage students to move along in their art-making process. We learned an overall relationship-building with your students and the importance of having that connection with them, and then they trust you and that is what creates great works together. It is something you can’t get in a huge classroom.”
Both Cavazos and Zaszlavik hope to continue the program and to possibly expand it to include other schools in the area. While the plans for expansion are currently unknown, the benefits produced by art buddies can be witnessed by all involved.
“My students live for art class with the GVSU students,” Cavazos said. “They really feel a part of the college scene, and we all wish we could come out more than three times a semester…. The arts are so important to students with disabilities because they are unique learners and the arts allow them to explore their learning styles while helping them be successful in something other than book work.”


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Levy: Renaissance begins in school
Kids need what the arts teach, and the upcoming school levy will continue to provide it. Art education is essential to the growth and development of the creative capabilities of all students. It has its roots in the discipline of visual communication and production, cultural and art history, judgment and aesthetics.
To a young child, it means learning how to apply concepts to communicate ideas. As a child learns to develop and use skills to solve problems, they are more successful in all areas of study. Students love to work with art materials and create products. Their work provides direct evidence of understanding and ability to apply basic concepts. Young children often need to learn kinesthetically to develop their understanding and memory.
Throughout human history, an appreciation of art, music, literature and science has been considered the hallmark of a well rounded citizen. I have taught elementary art for 20 years in the public schools. I work with elementary school students as they mature and graduate from very simple activities to very complex projects in six short years. They create and respond as they discover the world around them. Young children need and deserve a rich dimension to their education.
Thank you for supporting the upcoming school levy election this March. I know hundreds of students that are benefiting immeasurably from art education, physical education and the support staff who offer their expertise.
Elementary Art Specialist
Olympic View Elementary


Under the Hat: Tempo
The instant we hear music our bodies start responding to the sounds.
Why is it that some music makes us want to dance and other music makes us want to take a nap? Using examples from his songs “Grilled Cheese” and “Sueños,” Mister G illustrates the role tempo plays in creating mood in music. It’s really not that complicated: fast tempos tend to make the listener want to move fast and slow tempos make the listener want to move more slowly.
He explains how songwriters use tempo as a tool to create different emotions in the listener and encourages listeners to notice the way the speed of music affects their emotions.
As a songwriter, Mister G takes into account the subject for his songs before deciding on a tempo. So, with an exciting topic like “Grilled Cheese,” a fast tempo is in order. And with a gentle lullaby like “Suenos,” a slow tempo makes sense.
Next month in Under the Hat: What role does rhyme play in songwriting? Playing examples from his songs “Pizza for Breakfast” and “Cocodrilo,” Mister G explains how rhymes are the fundamental building blocks of lyric writing for popular songs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is an Amherst College graduate who spent 20 years as a singer/songwriter/producer in the adult music world prior to earning a Masters in Elementary Education at Smith College and transitioning to making music for children. His most recent release, CHOCOLALALA, a collection of original, bilingual (Spanish/English) songs for children, won a Parents’ Choice Gold Award and is on the Grammy ballot for Best Children’s Album of 2012. A leading figure in the kids music world, Mister G’s 2011 bilingual release, BUGS garnered numerous national awards and was dubbed “irresistible” by People magazine. www.mistergsongs.com


Creativity should not be underestimated. Creativity helps teach cognitive skills such as mathematics and scientific thinking. Creative thinking involves imagination, basic use of the scientific method, communication, physical dexterity and exertion, problem posing, problem solving, making interpretations, and using symbols which help with future literacy skills.
1-Creativity promotes emotional development-Creative expression provides many opportunities for expressing emotions and working through those emotions to gain relief and understanding of them. To help your child do this you could encourage a child who is angry to draw or paint a picture of how they are feeling. You could play varied types of music that invoke different emotions and then ask your child how the music makes them feel.
2-Creativity promotes social development- In young childhood, creativity is often a social act. Singing, dancing, puppetry, and theater all teach the child to pay attention to others as well as develop an understanding of social rules like give and take, and cooperation. Have a dance party with other children or have the child and their friends put on a play or puppet show.
3-Creativity supports physical development-Working with art materials such as crayons, scissors, paint brushes, play dough and paint promote fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. To promote gross motor skills try dancing, mural painting, theater, or large construction projects like building things with boxes.
4-Creativity supports language and literacy development-By engaging in creative play or projects,
children can learn new vocabulary words as well as learn to associate pictures with words. As mentioned above try playing different kinds of music and creating a conversation with the child about how it makes them feel; this will boost language expression and understanding. Expose your child to plenty of instruments and talk to them about their favorite one and what sound each instrument makes. Ask them open ended questions about their art work such as "how did you feel when you drew this" or "how does this painting make you feel?"
5-Creativity promotes cognitive development- Creative activities help children to develop attention skills and cognitive learning. Their imagination is in full use and it encourages them to come up with new ideas and to think outside of the box since creativity involves exploration and problem solving. Through creative activities such as playing with play dough, children can learn pre-math skills such as the concept of less and more. When children match shapes or colors in their creations they are learning the math skill one to one correspondence. Creative activities can help them learn about grouping and classification, physical properties of objects, and cause and effect. Painting and play dough are all great ways to explore these concepts.
There are four components of creativity as described by Psychologist Ellis P. Torrance: fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration.
Fluency is the ability to produce a number of different ideas. To promote fluency provide children with plenty of opportunities that stimulate the thought process. Ask open ended questions and questions that ask the child’s opinion. Encourage the child to explore and experiment and this will enhance cognitive growth.
Flexibility is the ability to approach different situations and develop solutions from a number of different perspectives. Foster flexibility by allowing plenty of opportunities to explore and experiment. Allowing children to experiment and make mistakes unleashes their creative thinking and a sense of wonder. They feel free to imagine, invent, create, and try out new ways to do things. Asking questions during an activity or when a problem arises such as “how is another way we could do this or solve it?” encourages children to think outside of the box.
Originality is the ability to have a new or novel idea. To promote originality, provide a variety of supplies and experiences in which children can use their imagination and create. By painting or constructing something out of play dough they are creating something out of nothing.
Elaboration is the ability to extend ideas. Give children new ways of doing old ideas and activities. For instance, providing pipe cleaner and other items to stick into play dough would allow children to elaborate in their play.
What are your child’s favorite creative activities?


Everyone says teaching is a noble profession. What does it really mean to be a selfless teacher? How does a teacher balance meeting state and national standards, the desire to be regarded as a good teacher by your students and colleagues, and actually teaching meaningful lessons that reach everyone in the classroom?As I mentioned in my last post, my cohort and the second-year Elementary Education MAT cohort are in a J-term diversity class together. Officially, the class is called Multicultural Dimensions and Global Awareness. One of the first things our professor said on the first night of class was that teaching wasn’t about us.
This wasn’t a huge revelation, as I never thought of myself going into the teaching profession for bright lights and glory, and I always strive to make sure my lessons meet my students’ needs. However, when she said that, I had to think about what selfless teaching really meant.
Selfless teaching means teaching to the whole bell curve, not just the middle. It’s easy to teach to the students who you know will get it and move on to the next lesson with you. It’s easy to look at those students’ grades and projects and feel like you’ve done your job. What about the students who read two grade levels below everyone else or the students whose parents have them in private lessons and summer programs that are well ahead of the rest of the class? Differentiated lesson planning is important. When I first started learning how to lesson plan, I thought, “How often am I actually going to have to do this?” The answer is pretty much almost every time I’ve taught there have been students either well ahead or far behind who need me to meet them where they are.
Also, knowing that “it’s not about me” in the classroom means forgiving quickly and continuing to teach all of your students, even the one who just did something disrespectful. It’s difficult to be an effective teacher while holding grudges and continuing to exclude someone from the classroom community because of something they did yesterday. Unless something is horribly wrong (i.e. egregious physical violence), I’m a huge fan of restorative justice in the classroom. In a lot of cases, kicking students out only puts them farther and farther behind academically, frustrates them more, and perpetuates negative behavior. It may feel easier to teach without a certain student in class, but adopting an “it’s not about me” attitude means teaching students that may or may not be likable too.
Everyone says teaching is a noble profession. What does it really mean to be a selfless teacher? How does a teacher balance meeting state and national standards, the desire to …


Learning How to Use a Calculator : Interactive PowerPoint
By: Anna Brown
ED 205 01 Learning How to Use a Calculator QUIT Why is it important to learn how to use a calculator? : Why is it important to learn how to use a calculator? Calculators can SAVE TIME! They are able to do math problems usually faster than what humans can. This means that you can do simple tasks such as adding prices together at the market and subtracting objects to see who has more.
When we become older and want to do a quick math problem, a calculator can give the answer in a short amount of time. QUIT Parts of a Calculator : Parts of a Calculator Why is it important to learn how to use a calculator?
Resource Slide QUIT Turn On/Off : Turn On/Off Some calculators shut off automatically others have an OFF button that looks like these.
To turn ON a calculator you just push the button with ON printed on it. Sometimes the ON button looks like ON/C. This means it is the ON button and the CLEAR button. QUIT Where are the Numbers? : Where are the Numbers? The numbers are usually in the middle of the calculator.
The numbers buttons on the calculator are 0 to 9. Larger numbers can be made by pushing the first placed number then the second placed. QUIT Equal Sign : Equal Sign The equal sign is usually on the lower right corner of the calculator QUIT Addition Sign : Addition Sign The addition sign is usually on the right side of the calculator. Look for a button with a plus sign on it. QUIT Subtraction Sign : Subtraction Sign The subtraction sign is usually on the right side of the calculator. Look for a minus sign on a button. QUIT Multiplication Sign : Multiplication Sign Like the addition and subtraction sign, the multiplication sine is also on the right side of the calculator. QUIT Division Sign : Division Sign The division sign is also on the left right side of the calculator. QUIT Where Does My Answer Show Up? : Where Does My Answer Show Up? The screen is where the answer and math problem shows up. This is on the top of the calculator. QUIT Video Clip : Video Clip This is the: Math Rocks! The Calculator Song! video clip. Click on the TV to watch. Click on TV QUIT Author Slide : Author Slide My name is Anna Brown and I am a student at Grand Valley State University located in Allendale, Michigan. After I graduate in 2012, I will become an elementary teacher. I am majoring in mathematics and minoring in elementary education. I want to teach First Grade after I graduate.
Send me an Email QUIT Resources : Resources For Pictures:
PowerPoint 2007 Clipart
For Video Clip


The Journal Sentinel education reporters offer news and notes from their beat
Walker, Evers outline plans to improve reading achievement
Schools would have to implement early literacy screenings for all kindergartners and prospective teachers would be required to take a more intensive test to determine their knowledge of teaching reading, according to recommendations released by a task force Wednesday.
The report of the Read to Lead task force, spearheaded by Gov. Scott Walker and co-led by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, outlines a comprehensive action plan to improve reading achievement in Wisconsin.
Walker, Evers and several legislators released the task force’s recommendations at Highland View Elementary School in Greendale Wednesday morning.
Those recommendations included:
- Pushing for legislative action that would require all schools to universally screen 4- and 5-year-old kindergartners, so that teachers can intervene earlier with students who appear to need help in the early stages of learning to read. This would be paid for with $600,000 Walker has set aside for the Read to Lead task force.
- Strengthening teacher preparation requirements in reading instruction. Prospective teachers would be required to take a more rigorous test that assesses their knowledge about how to teach reading before they could earn their initial license. The task force recommends that the state adopt a well-regarded statewide test given to future teachers in Massachusetts.
- Requiring initial teachers to include a component that focuses on teaching reading in their professional development plans.
- Pushing for legislative action that would allow public-private partnerships at the state level, which would allow private dollars to fund and support reading programs that are working in the state.
- Using a new online portal, Read Wisconsin, so that teachers around the state can share best practices in reading instruction.
- Designating a point person for reading instruction in each district.
Evers called the action plan a “call to arms” and a “call for urgency.”
The plan does not prescribe exactly how to teach reading, thereby sidestepping a fierce debate that raged in the 1980s and 1990s about whether whole language or phonics instruction was the most effective way to teach kids to read.
“We didn’t want to revisit the reading wars,” Walker said.
Instead, Walker said, the task force felt teachers weren’t being given enough training and skills to help kids to read, and to help intervene early when kids struggle.
The task force included educators, reading experts, elected officials from both parties and philanthropic and nonprofit representatives. It was organized in March of 2011.


Trouble at Trio Farm, Interactive Children's Story
By 123 Number Fun Pty Ltd
Open iTunes to buy and download apps.
Trouble at Trio Farm - Interactive Children's Story.
“Trouble at Trio Farm”: Farmer Freda Three lives at Trio Farm and sells fruit and vegetables from her farm shop, but one day a four legged thief broke into the shop and ate most of her apples and turnips. Help Ernie Eight the Policeman and Freda play detective and solve the mystery of the missing fruit and vegetables.
Trouble at Trio Farm introduces numbers and how they relate to everyday situations. This book focuses on the number three, simple addition, subtraction and incorporates an interactive number pad to help your child learn to count the fun way using characters from Number Town.
Enjoy listening to this fun & lively children's iReader story book featuring a beautiful narrative performance by Sharon Hunter and Daryl Scobie. 978-0-9806737-6-0
* “Read to me”. Full narration with manual or automatic page turning.
* “Read it myself” Show or hide text with a simple touch.
* Text highlights as you read.
* Interactive Number Town Map. Touch objects to hear a description.
* Listen to the Number Fun Song.
* Read along to beautiful narrative performance by Sharon Hunter and Daryl Scobie.
* iPhone & iPad compatible ireader.
* A Real Book Too - See Amazon Link http://amzn.to/JZXlBE
About Tilly’s Number Town
This series of stories is aimed at pre-school children exploring numeracy in everyday situations. Following National Curriculum Key stage 1. Maths, Geography, Science, Language, Team work and Cooperation.
Number Town is a unique, numeracy-based approach to mathematics for 3-6 year old children . Its information-rich Number Image concept transform plain black numbers into child-friendly pictogram characters, who live in an imaginary place called Number Town.
By translating number facts into engaging stories, children are motivated to listen, to think, to remember and to learn. These stories explain counting, addition, subtraction, sequence, time, shapes, movement and simple multiplication quickly developing the building blocks of early years mathematics. Join “Little Tilly Two” and all her friends in Number Town.
Using number characters like Sally Seven the Sports Star or Policeman Ernie Eight and actions to teach numeracy is supported by scientific research. The Number Town approach is also in-line with research on memory techniques and the way we learn. (mnemonics) Each Number Town character has a recognisable personality living in a realistic environment where maths is used in every day life. By integrating maths into real life situations provides children with a motivating framework for learning speaking and listening.
These simple stories about the Number Town characters and their lives, engage attention, develop listening & speaking skills and expand children’s awareness of numeracy skills. Subjects such as geography and science and their close relationship with mathematics are explored.
© Jane Hague 2010, ISBN 978-0-9806737-6-0 www.123numberfun.com
123 Number Fun is a member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families.
Recommended Ages: 1-3, 4-7, parent
What's New in Version 1.2
Added support for iOS 7
Customers Also Bought
- Category: Books
- Updated: May 27, 2014
- Version: 1.2
- Size: 22.4 MB
- Language: English
- Seller: 123 Number Fun Pty Ltd
- © Jane Hague
Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.1.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.


Mills, Luther Rice
17 Aug. 1840–18 Aug. 1920
Luther Rice Mills, educator, was the youngest of five children of the Reverend John Garland and Martha Williams Haymes Mills of Halifax County, Va. Ordained to the ministry in 1825, the elder Mills served as pastor of rural Baptist churches in the region, while earning a good livelihood for his family as owner-manager of a sizable plantation tended by numerous slaves.
Young Mills received the rudiments of an elementary education under the tutelage of his father prior to enrolling at Wake Forest College in 1857. He was awarded an A.B. degree in 1861, graduating at the head of his class. Afterwards he served in the Confederate army (1861–65), attaining the rank of lieutenant. Captured on the retreat from Richmond (1864), he spent the last months of the conflict as a prisoner on Johnson's Island.
On his release from prison in mid-June 1865, Mills returned to Halifax County. Earlier dreams of pursuing graduate studies in mathematics at the University of Virginia and at Cambridge University had to be deferred as he assumed the management of the family estate, operating it with the help of former slaves, who had chosen to remain as "tenants" following their emancipation, and with such day laborers as he could hire for the work. His sense of duty to a widowed mother—together with an unexpected joy derived from his success at the enterprise—found Mills resolved to devote his time and energy to maintaining the family farm.
In January 1867, however, he yielded to the invitation of President Washington Manly Wingate to return to Wake Forest to teach mathematics. Here he remained for the next forty years, serving as adjunct professor (1867–71) and professor of mathematics (1871–1907), bursar of the college (1876–1907), and agent for the Board of Education (1876–80). The latter, a college-based agency of the Baptist State Convention, was charged with the task of working to "assist promising and indigent young ministers seeking to prepare themselves for the more efficient preaching of the gospel." As a result of ill health, Mills retired from the classroom in June 1907.
As a teacher, Mills was comprehensive and exacting. The young men who sat in his classes soon discovered that whether or not they learned was largely their responsibility. He believed that a teacher should not have to coax a student to study. Nonetheless, the records of many former students—especially those who pursued higher branches of mathematics at universities—attest both to the thoroughness of the work accomplished in his classroom and to his ability to inspire students to do their best.
It was as bursar, however, that Mills probably made his most important contribution to Wake Forest. He is said to have been well ahead of his time in his knowledge of accounting principles and in the skills of business management. His thrift, his prompt payment of bills, and his determination to hold expenditures within the limits of the institution's sources of revenue increased its financial credit. Such practices also won the confidence of the individuals who were able to provide equipment and funding for the college. Knowledge of the value of common stocks and other securities—together with his study of fluctuations in the market—made him a trusted adviser to the board of trustees. Reportedly, his judgment regarding investments proved to be remarkably sound.
Mills married Anna Lewis, of Tarboro, on 14 Jan. 1869. They had five children: Kate (m. Claude Kitchin), Luther Rice, Jr., John Garland, Lucy (m. John Alexander Wray), and Anna. Mills was buried in the town cemetery at Wake Forest. A portrait hangs in the reading room of the Ethel Taylor Crittenden Collection in Baptist History, Wake Forest University.
Luther Rice Mills, "Forty Years in the Wilderness," Bulletin of Wake Forest College, October 1907, January 1908.
George Washington Paschal, History of Wake Forest College, vols. 1–3 (1935–43).
Wake Forest Student, "Mills Memorial" vol. (November 1920).
Luther Rice Mills Reminiscences, undated (collection no. 00512-z). The Southern Historical Collection. Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://www2.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/m/Mills,Luther_Rice.html (accessed July 31, 2014).
1 January 1991 | Taylor, R. Hargus


Contact: Science press package
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Green minerals on the red planet
Olivine is an important ingredient in Earth’s upper mantle
Full size image available here
Scientists have discovered clues that the green mineral olivine, which also takes the form of the gemstone peridot, exists on Mars. Olivine is an important ingredient in Earth's upper mantle, the region that lies beneath the planet's outer "crust" -- somewhat like the chocolate in a peanut M&M.
Olivene is easy to find in rocks on our planet's surface, although it eventually breaks down, or "weathers" over time. Currently, Mars is much colder and drier than Earth, but it may not always have been that way. If scientists can figure out how long the olivine has been exposed on Mars' surface, they might better understand Mars' ancient climate. For example, if the olivine has been there since Mars' younger days, then the climate there has probably been cold and dry since then too.
Todd M. Hoefen of the United States Geological Survey and colleagues identified the olivine-rich rocks on Mars using special measurements taken by an instrument called the Thermal Emission Spectrometer, aboard the Mars Global Surveyor. The scientists report their discovery in the 24 October issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS, the non-profit science society.
Back to Science for kids
Science is published by AAAS, the science society.


Category : Communication, Culture, Discrimination Essay Samples, Education, Free Essay Samples, Health Essays, History Essays, Leadership, Management Essays, Medicine, Nursing, Organizational Behaviour, Politics Examples, Poverty Case Studies, Problem Statement, Public Relations, Religion, Sample Essay Papers, Sociology Essay Samples, Sports, Television
This essay explains the meaning and function of classroom observation in studying child development. The essay also presents the actual report of a classroom observation.
Meaningful experiences in early childhood education can positively shape children's development. With teacher facilitation, authentic child-centered early art education can enrich young students' learning, encourage positive attitudes toward other people, and more closely follow practices of the people around them in the contemporary world. However, art for young students often takes many diversified approaches and emphasizing questionable practices.
Observation is a part of meaningful and authentic early childhood art education. Observation enriches students' experiences with their environment, gives them reasons to study, interact with other children and follows the practices of their adult models. They develop strategies and skills to represent objects in their environment. Finally, adults play a critical role in young students' development by engaging in sensitive and critical dialogue.
Most of the children in the class were three years old, but there was one five year old. The preschool children were seemed very shy and they did not seem like they were very sociable. The children seemed to be experiencing a little bit of stranger anxiety. The teacher said the children often would cry and become uneasy whenever they meet a stranger. This can also be considered as signs of separation anxiety. The boys in the class were very natural and the girls seemed to be introverted and preserve. This would agree with the theories that boys will be inclined to be more sociable, and girls will be more reserved. In the preschool class, the teacher often has puppet shows and the children love it. One child was sitting at the table having a conversation with a stuffed beaver. According to a theory called animistic thinking, children believe that inanimate objects are alive. Another form of animistic thinking would be when the teacher told a story about leprechaun, when the teacher asked where leprechauns lived, one child answered. “Leprechauns live in the grass and run around from tree to tree, they are itsy bitsy and very hard to see.” These children think that these living things were real, but they just could not see them. However, the fun with the leprechauns had just begun. To test the children’s belief in the unrealistic, the teacher asked the children make little pots, and then she tell all of the kids that if they were excellent, the leprechaun would leave them gold in their pot. While these kids were eating their snacks, the teacher left and put gold candy in their pots, and then waited for their reactions and comments when they came back to see what had happened. One child soared around and shouted that “he was here, he was here,” and another child was looking around the room trying to find the leprechaun. Overall, Most of the children have beliefs based on what they sensed to be true, rather than on what would be logic or rational. Language development between the three-year-old children, and the five-year-old child was amazing. There were some grammatical morpheme problems that were noticed during the observation at the preschool. The children were very good with sentence structure and words. However, they struggled with prepositions, suffixes and prefixes. For example, “he sitted down on me,” “she hitted me with the beaver,” the children are learning that they need to ass the “ed” to the end of some words, but they do not know when it is and when it is not appropriate to do it yet. Children are good in imitation at the preschool. The teacher was their adult model. Imitation is a great way for the children to learn about the world, and is often a sociable test to see how far that they can stretch the rules.


Explore a range of information, maps, images and games which will support your studies across a variety of subjects including History, Architecture, Irish writers, Flora & Fauna, Irish Language & Legends, Sport, Transport & much more
The AskaboutIreland website also hosts the Digital Archive of the Irish Times. However it can only be accessed online through schools or libraries. Every edition of the Irish Times since 29th March 1859 is available online in an easily searchable format.
Providing a range of resources and information for all subjects within the Irish post-primary curriculum including a search facility for resources within a range of topics in both the junior & senior cylcle.
This website provides valuable resources to help students Learn, to Revise for their Exams, and to enable students and teachers to Explore the wider world of education.
As part of Ireland's Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) Awareness Programme, the science.ie website provides resources for visitors of all ages who are interested in science and technology
A database of Irish terms containing over 270,000 terms, searchable under both Irish and English versions.
|Khanacademy.org provides students with an extensive library of content, including interactive challenges, assessments, and videos from any computer with access to the web. ontent covers math, science biology, chemistry, physics, finance and history|
Webwise.ie educates on safer usage of the Internet. Aimed at students, teachers and parents it also promotes the positive aspects of using the Internet and informs on how to deal with the risks.
An online free encyclopedia written collaboratively by volunteers all around the world
|Google Earth |
Google Earth combines the power of Google Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D buildings to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips
|National Geographic |
Information on the environment, animals, people and history
Mathletics is a leading digital maths resource, helping children aged 5-18 to improve their numeracy skills and build confidence in maths whilst having fun. Parents can set tasks and closely monitor progress. Aligned to the Irish curriculum. Visit www.Mathletics.eu
This is a website with educational games about Europa. The games are free and easy to use, and available in Gaeilge, English and seven other languages. Topics: countries, capitals, flags, regions, lakes, seas, rivers, islands and more
|BBC Education |
Tons of information on the schools and education sections of the BBC site
Educational Website Directories – the following directories list out educational websites on the world wide web:
|www.thinkquest.org – the thinkquest libraries contain unique education web sites that have been created by students and for students. The library currently contains more that 5,000 web sites to search and surf.|


H.R.2706 - LEARN Act113th Congress (2013-2014)
|Sponsor:||Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3] (Introduced 07/17/2013)|
|Committees:||House - Education and the Workforce|
|Latest Action:||09/13/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.|
This bill has the status Introduced
Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
Summary: H.R.2706 — 113th Congress (2013-2014)All Bill Information (Except Text)
Introduced in House (07/17/2013)
Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation Act or the LEARN Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to develop or improve a comprehensive plan to improve the literacy of children from birth through grade 12.
Directs the Secretary to award grants to states to implement their comprehensive literacy plans for such children through:
- competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or early learning programs for specified activities that support early language and literacy development in children from birth through kindergarten entry;
- competitive subgrants to LEAs that have the highest numbers or percentages of disadvantaged students and students reading or writing below grade level for specified activities to improve the literacy of students in kindergarten through grade 12, including the provision of family literacy services; and
- additional state activities that include providing technical assistance to subgrantees, coordinating literacy programs and resources throughout the state, disseminating information on promising literacy programs, and enhancing the credentials of literacy instructors.
Allots implementation grants to states on the basis of each state's share of disadvantaged students.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) perform a five-year national evaluation of the implementation and effect of the literacy initiatives supported by this Act, and (2) provide technical assistance and information on literacy instruction to educational entities.
Authorizes the Secretary to withhold this Act's funding from states and subgrantees, and states to withhold funding from subgrantees, whose initiatives are not making significant progress in improving student literacy.


Ask most kindergarteners, “What happened?", and you can get ready for a pretty wild, often non-sensical tale. That’s because for most kids, the concept of a story having sequence, or a “beginning, middle, and end”, is only just starting to make sense to them. Sequencing is a crucial skill for learning success, however, and kindergarten teachers heavily encourage practicing it. Want to help your child sequence at home? Try this activity with your child to increase his vocabulary and strengthen his grasp of the beginning, middle, and end by having him place sentence strips in the right order.
What You Do:
- Start by inviting your child to think of an event. It can be something small like a trip to the park or the journey to school, for instance. It does not have to be a big or recent memory, just so long as it has a beginning, middle, and end. For reference, some sample stories are listed below.
- Once you've chosen your event, let your child describe the event in three short sentences as you write down what she says verbatim on the index cards. Use only one index card per sentence. These cards are your sentence strips.
- Place two magnets on the back of each card, and stick the strips on the fridge in a random order. If you child is reading independently, have her read the three sentence strips in any order she chooses. If she needs assistance reading, you can help her read the sentences—just remember to read the cards out of order if you do.
- Ask your child to place each sentence strip in order from beginning to end so that the story makes sense. Read aloud together to confirm the strips are in the right order.
- Once your child gets the hang of the activity, you can write and sequence more stories together. As your child gets better at sequencing, you can vary this activity by increasing the story to four or five cards or even by putting extra vocabulary words in, too. Or save your best stories and keep them up to make a family “fridge library!”
Sentence Strip Story Ideas
I get out bagels. I spread jelly on both halves. I cut the bagel in half.
Sam brushes his teeth. Sam waits for the school bus. Sam eats breakfast.
Jen plays in the park. Jen rides the see-saw. Jen chases a butterfly.
Vocabulary Builder Words
Apples, donuts, peanut butter, cheese
Hair, carpool, lunch, dinner
Dog, swing, sand box, slide
Alicia Danyali, B.S. Elementary Education, taught primary-level students for four years at the International School of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The last four years of her teaching career, she taught at the Washington International School in Washington, D.C. She recently completed writing a series of children's picture books and is a mother of one young son.


This week we bring you Dinosaur & Volcano Small World Play in the bath, and it might just be my preschoolers favorite bath time so far. My 4 year old actually requested something to the effect of “dinosaurs and volcano with lava oozing down and red lava rocks shooting out from the volcano and smokey gray clouds coming up from the volcano covering the sky.” I’m beginning to think his brain is as full of crazy ideas as mine is! So it was just up to me to add a few more details to pull off his vision. And both kids absolutely LOVED it!!
The set-up was surprisingly simple considering all the details of the request. I cut a brown volcano and several black clouds from sheets of craft foam. I wet the volcano and it stuck to the wall of the bath like a removable sticker. I simply floated the black clouds in the bath water since the volcano hadn’t erupted yet. I tossed in some shiny red pom poms to act as the pyroclastic lava rocks Luke had requested, and I set up some of the kids’ plastic dinosaur figurines on the edge of the bath.
While the tub filled, I whipped up some lava paint so the kids could paint the volcanic eruption themselves. It’s super simple to make!
It takes a good bit of food coloring, but we didn’t have any issues with staining. The lava paint washed completely away when we were finished playing.
I made our lava paint in one of the pieces of our coconut shell. You can see all the other fun we’ve had with this coconut here. It gave it a bit of a prehistoric look, which fit in well with the dinosaurs and volcano!
The kids had so much fun putting the volcano together! First they finger painted the vertical blast of lava, followed by some more gentle lava flows down the side of the volcano.
They used up every bit of lava paint I had made crafting the eruption, and then they added the black clouds of smoke and ash covering the sky.
After the big volcanic eruption, they played with the toy dinosaurs for a bit…until I introduced part 2 of our Dinosaur & Volcano Small World Play:
You can pop right over here to my new site, Parent Teach Play, to see what we did next! It’s worth seeing if I do say so myself!!
Science Experiments in the Bath
Bath Time Science Lab
Submarine Science for Kids
Weather Experiments Bath
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As you find yourself here on the Hooked on Phonics blog, you might be asking yourself, what is phonics?
Phonics is the association between the letters in our alphabet and the sounds in our spoken language. The sound letters make are the building blocks of words. For example, if you know c makes the c sound (as in cup), a makes the a sound (as in apple), and t makes the t sound (as in turtle), you can blend the sounds c, a, t to read the word cat.
Understanding the relationship between letters and sounds is an essential step in learning to read, as found by a landmark study conducted by the National Reading Panel (NRP). The NRP was born out of a Congressional request to study the effectiveness of different reading methods. The results of the NRP study indicated that teaching children about phonemic awareness helps them learn to read, and that systematic phonics instruction showed significant positive benefits in the reading abilities of students in kindergarten through 6th grade:
The ability to read and spell words was enhanced in kindergartners who received systematic beginning phonics instruction. First graders who were taught phonics systematically were better able to decode and spell, and they showed significant improvement in their ability to comprehend text. Older children receiving phonics instruction were better able to decode and spell words and to read text orally.
The study also found that for phonics instruction to be effective, children need to put these skills to use in context. To that end, Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read combines practice in decoding and pronouncing words with reading great books to allow children to use these crucial skills in reading for meaning and enjoyment. If you want to read more, check out the research behind our Hooked on Phonics Programs.


MAD Academy have been teaching babies and toddlers for 10 years in our fun, physical and funky weekly classes. We specialise in music and dance because we understand it plays an integral role in young children’s happiness and growth. It also helps them to learn by engaging the whole body and activating multiple parts of the brain at once – it’s the way nature intended children to learn. So it’s the perfect medium to teach a whole range of skills and knowledge, from letters to numbers, from shapes to weather. In our classes MAD Academy harnesses the power of music and movement to teach focused topics such as:
- Listening and communication
- Motor skills
- Knowledge of the world
- Social skills
Our activities are all age appropriate and tailored to the developmental stage of our children. They also progress through the age ranges, helping children to learn and grow their skills in a co-ordinated way.MAD Academy opens up a whole world of learning to our children through music and dance.
Right from our baby classes we teach children to enjoy music and singing and to feel the rhythm. As they grow, we teach more complex musical skills such as pitch, dynamics, tempo, and musical expression.
Listening and Communication
Listening and communication are essential skills for all children and develop these skills in all our classes. Our activities and games teach children to listen carefully, identify and distinguish between different sounds and identity where they come from, respond to what they hear, to vocalise sounds and to communicate through signing and talking.
Our specially choreographed dances and movement activities are designed to develop children’s spatial awareness, co-ordination, balance, strength, agility and sequencing skills. We also use props to focus on children’s fine motor control.
Discovering the World
Across all our age groups, we have fun with music and songs to learn about the world around us. We cover a different topic each half term, including animals, learning food, the body, transport, gardens, the weather, space etc.
In our baby classes we have a dedicated section each week devoted to exploring the senses. We use exciting and stimulating props and music to encourage babies sense of touch, sight and sound, which are so important as they learn about the world around them.
In our Walkers to Two classes we start to use music and songs to help children begin to learn to early numeracy skills. We teach children to count up to 10, to counting back, to skip count and to identify colours and shapes. In our older classes we continue with our numeracy teaching, focusing on matching and sorting skills and positions.
Once children move into our Twos to Four classes, we begin to introduce them to initial letter sounds, using songs, rhymes, and games to help them recognise some initial letters and to identify the sounds they make.
In all our classes we help children to develop their early social skills. They learn from our instructors, the other adults and the children in the class to greet each other, to make friends, to join in with activities, to sharing props and take turn and to work together.


Body measures 'biased' for young children
Tall pre-pubescent children are being incorrectly classified as overweight or obese, an Australian study into children's health and lifestyles has found.
Lead author, and Australian National University (ANU) adjunct professor, Richard Telford says the use of body mass index (BMI) to determine the body size of pre-pubescent children is skewing results.
In a paper published in the journal Obesity, Telford and co-author statistician Ross Cunningham, also of the ANU, say between 6% to 12% of eight-year-olds are misclassified when BMI is used to determine body size or adiposity.
He says because the adiposity measurements of BMI and percent body fat are both related to height, significantly tall and short eight-year-old children tend to be incorrectly classified.
"BMI is biased as a measure and unfairly would predict a taller child to be fatter than he or she is," Telford says.
He points to an example of two eight-year-old girls, one who is 10 cm taller than the other.
Using the current measurement systems the taller girl's BMI would be 1.6 points higher and her percent body fat value would be 3.8 points higher.
"That would easily tip a girl from being normal into the mid-range of being overweight," Telford says.
He says the danger of the bias is that medical staff using BMI to measure young patients "may be giving misinformation".
"If a child is told they are overweight [when they are not] that can have serious consequences," he says.
In the paper the two researchers say the height bias can easily be overcome by changing the formula by which adiposity is calculated.
They propose a new system for measuring eight-year-olds called body mass function, which is body weight divided by height cubed. BMI is calculated by dividing body weight by height squared.
Telford says the problem with using BMI as a measure for 8-year-olds was highlighted during a broader research project currently underway.
The four-year Lifestyle of our Kids project (LOOK), funded by the Commonwealth Institute, is following the health, academic achievement and physical activity of 830 Canberra schoolboys and schoolgirls from the age of eight years.
Researchers are examining health-related issues such as cardiovascular structure and function, bone density and strength, family influences, medical history, and level and type of physical activity including motor control, balance, nutrition and academic performance.
One aspect of the study is to assess whether specialist physical education teachers are needed in primary schools, says Telford.
In a paper yet to be published, Telford reports they have found those children with specialised physical education classes "have enhanced balance skills".
He says this has broad ramifications, as previous studies have shown a strong correlation between good motor coordination and strong literacy and numeracy skills.


From staff reports
The Career & Technology Center offers 9 career and technical programs. The general purpose of these programs is to prepare the student for future employment in occupational areas of his/her choice and/or for entry into advanced post secondary education training in the same or related occupation skills.
Agricultural Power and Machinery is an instructional program designed to develop an all-around mechanic, who is capable of diagnosing and repairing agricultural equipment used in this area. Students receive a wide range of instruction that will give a broad understanding of mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems.
The Automotive Service Technician program provides instruction in the foundational skills related to safety, tool and equipment usage, basic automotive service, brake service and electrical system service. The students will develop skills related to engine performance, steering and suspension service, electrical, and on-board diagnostics as they advance.
Today, there is a need for a partnership between educators, business and industry, and the community. Career Pathway Experiences provides students with skills learned in the classroom and how to apply those skills in the workplace.
The Construction program provides students with an introduction to carpentry, masonry, plumbing, cabinet-making, and electrical fundamentals. Students are taught general building techniques, knowledge of building materials, and instruction on the use of hand and power tools. After completion of the program, students will be registered with the Center for Construction Education and Research.
The Forestry program is a broad-based, diverse class with exposure to the natural world. Students will learn forestry basics as well as covering wildlife management. The program is based on hands-on learning, while using various sites for skills’ objectives.
Manufacturing Fundamentals I and Metal Fabrication II provide instruction in machine shop technology, industrial welding, and sheet metal fabrication. Students will be able to interpret blueprints, operate metal lathes, power drills, and other power tools. Students will also perform various welding operations and learn to use hand and sheet metal machines.
Simulation and Animation Design, or SAD, is designed for students who wish to develop, design, and implement projects in the field of game design and development. The program focuses on basic areas of character development, audio and video production, and design using visualization software. The program also finishes with a unit that requires students to develop their own gaming environment.
The Teacher Academy program is a course designed for students who are interested in the field of education. This class includes hands-on experience that will prepare students for future employment. Twice a week, students shadow local teachers in different areas.


Precursor: Pasted somewhere in your family album is a visual collection of white shirts and khaki pants. Well maybe the shirts are black and the pants are denim, but the optical philosophy persists. Your family is dressed in uniform, making it simple to identify the confederate members. While there’s nothing distasteful with this strategy, particularly when extended groups are involved, perhaps you long for something unexpected, maybe you’ve nibbled at accented neturals (ie black and white with dashes of red). The following post is intended to present a feast of fresh photographic possibilities.
The Allen family is led by an artistic matriarch who carefully orchestrated a harmonious yet unexpected color scheme for her Autumnal family photo. While she is collegiately papered in chromatic proficiency, the rest of us can benefit from a crash course in color theory.
First the Color Wheel
Our primary colors, as learned in our elementary education, are red, yellow, and blue. Every other color on the wheel is born from a combination of these hues.
The first generation of genesis are secondary colors. When two primary colors are combined, a secondary color dawns. The next lineage of colors is tertiary, created by mixing a primary and secondary color.
Finally, it is relevant to register the left side of the wheel as cool and the right side of the wheel as warm.
Now, on to our harmonies:
In the preceding specimen, the entire ensemble sprouts from the same red-violet base. Monochromatic harmonies are clean and elegant. To keep them interesting combine textures as well as tints (hues created by adding white), shades (hues created by adding black), and tones (hues created by adding gray). For example, combining the opulent velvet magenta shade with the gauzy rose tint.
The pointed pair above illustrates a soothing analogous color harmony. The scheme shares a common violet core but introduces variation by mixing more blue on one side and red on the other. Not only does this combination cross hues, but it also bridges the warm/cool boundary which further enriches the effect.
This intrinsically attention absorbing harmony adds natural vibrancy. When used judiciously it can add energy and interest. Desaturating one component (the blue in this sample) allows the opposing golden orange to dominate and shine. Using tints, shades, and tones as well as secondary and tertiary color combinations also keeps the scheme from appearing trite (ie a primary red again a secondary green Christmas combination).
The harmony visualized in the foreground of the image (left-front daughter in blue-violet + right-front baby in red-orange + emerald green grass) provides high contrast without the strong tension of a straight complementary scheme.
And let’s just acknowledge here and now for all you smarty britches, that this citation is not a perfect split complementary. The color compound should include red-violet instead of true violet, but I like it and as the owner/writer of this blog, I say, “close enough.”)
This harmony illustrated by the upper tier of image representatives (son in blue green scarf and yellow-orange plaid + daughter in red-violet jacket) offers rich contrast while retaining optical balance. The trio is not as visually demanding as the complementary scheme, but it shines in balance and interest.
The dominant colors within the image form a harmonious tetrad. The varying shades of red violet shine against the yellow-green grass. The blues and oranges conflict just enough to create dynamic interest. And as a whole they balance each other beautifully.


The purpose of this reseacrh is to know the implementation of formative assessment in the teaching and learning process of art education is success or not. It also focus on the teachers knowledge in applying the formative assessment in their classrooms and the suitability of this assessment based on the art education curriculum. This research is a case study which uses a cualitative approach to explain the problems as a whole. The method used are interviews, observation, investigative, documents and recorded audio visual materials. SMJK Pel Yuan has been choosen. It is a Chinese medium school, located in Kinta Selatan district of Perak. This research involved five teachers who were choosen at random. They are teachers from this school who are currently teaching art education. As a conclution, it shows that the implementation of this assesssment involved three main domain which are the cognitif, affective and psikomotor. Even so it was not done througly though the process of teaching. The method of assessment which is not done thoroughly and do not fit the actual asessmenfs method shows that the teachers knowledge in implementating the formative asesssment need to be improved. The result of this researh is hope to provide advantage and realisation to teachers about the importance of applying and doing the formative assessment using the correct method.
Institute:Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
Year of completion:2007
Country of Research Data:


Fall Perspective Landscape: Free Lesson Plan Download
Level: K-2 Art Education Lesson Plan
Art Elements: Space and Color
Art Skills: Perspective, Drawing
Art History: Landscape
* Get more free lessons like this, on our Lessons Page
This lesson is a great introduction to perspective. I’ve done it also in 3rd grade and 2nd grade, which seems to be the sweet spot for this lesson. Although drawing the tree is done as a group, students must show their knowledge of perspective by drawing objects of their choice in the foreground, middle ground and background. Horizon Line is also a new vocabulary word for this lesson.


Andrew Goldsworthy is an outdoor environmentalist artist who uses nature as influence for his unique creations. Your child can use leaves and grasses to create inspired outdoor installation art in celebration of Earth Day. All he needs is the great outdoors and some creativity!
What You Need:
- Book on Goldsworthy or Internet
What You Do:
- Take a closer look at Andrew Goldsworthy’s art with your child either by visiting your local library or using the Internet to research him. Discuss with your child how he used nature around him as influence—and to create his outdoor installations!
- Invite your child to head outdoors and look for interesting natural items to use for his installation. He can think about size, texture, balance, and composition, which are all elements and principals of art and design!
- Encourage your child to pick a spot to begin constructing his artwork. Suggest using different lengths of grass, branches and leaves to help hold his items in place for his artwork. His Earth Day nature art can be flat or three-dimensional, whichever he would like!
- Now your child can think about color as well as texture while finishing his nature creation. Invite him to think about using complementary colors next to each other so textures really pop! Complementary colors are colors located across from each other on the color wheel, like the colors red and green.
- Andy Goldsworthy takes a picture of his finished outdoor installations to preserve them forever. Offer your child a camera to take several pictures of his finished outdoor installation so that when the wind blows, the rain starts falling, or animals disturb his all natural installation in some way, he will always have a memory of his Andy Goldsworthy inspired creation!
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.


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reading comprehension strategies - Re-pinned by @PediaStaff – Please Visit http://ht.ly/63sNt for all our pediatric therapy pins Strategies Materials, Schools, Grade Factories, Reading Comprehen Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Comprehension Strategies, Reading Strategies, First Grade, 1St Grade
Included are 24 reading comprehension skills and strategies posters. Each poster has the name of the strategy, prompts that you might ask students, a sample graphic organizer, and sample student responses with sentence frames (when applicable). Also available with black and white polka-dot background.
Reading group or intervention game! A fun idea would be to roll the die and begin a made-up story, each person that rolls tells the next part. 1. Roll all first. Write down your numbers. 2. Begin the story in numerical order. It does not matter how many play, just so there are 2, even if one is teacher or babysitter. Lots of fun in store! MamaPat
The Growing Room Ideas for teaching children reading comprehension imagination story time book club books homework literature
reading comprehension strategies poster Standard 1, Knowledge of Literacy. Standard 1.3 = The teacher has demonstrated the ability to develop reading comprehension and promotion of independent reading including COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES FOR A VARIETY OF GENRES.


(Mapping Your Curriculum to the Common Core)
How can your school or district effectively integrate the CCSS into your curriculum?
In this active session, participants will examine Dr. Jacobs' four-phase conceptual framework for curriculum mapping and develop an understanding of why and how it is a natural support for effective implementation of the CCSS. Special focus in this active workshop will be on shared literacy development, applying mathematics to solve real world problems, integration of 21st century skills and student engagement in meaningful and relevant learning. The workshop will be based on Dr. Jacobs' recently released: Mapping to the Core: Integrating the CCSS into Your Local School Curriculum (SINET).
There is a parking lot adjacent to the STEM building. Parking is FREE.
When & Where
School for Global Education & Innovation
The SGEI provides ongoing professional learning opportunities for teachers and administrators that support physical, online, virtual and remote 21st century learning environments and enable practitioners to engage in collaborative work, collegial inquiry, reflective practice and constant innovation in both local and global contexts.


Vivaldi wrote more than 400 concertos for various instruments, especially for the violin. The scores of 21 operas, including his first and last, are still intact. He taught at a school for orphaned girls. The music education there was very good and Vivaldi wrote a lot of his music for his pupils to play. His most popular work is the group of four violin concertos called “The Four Seasons”. He is believed to be the inventor of the ritornello form. Each concerto describes a season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. He was very famous for his piccolo compositions, like, for example, Il gardellino.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Antonio Vivaldi|