Design Rhythmics Sonification Research Lab works with scientists and museums to turn information and data into music. Why music? Not only do we love music, but it just so happens that music is composed of a very rich palette of qualities upon which data may be mapped and thereby perceived by the brain through the auditory channel. Music stimulates cognition and memory, and offers those who are blind or visually handicapped the opportunity to understand information and gain knowledge in new ways. By working with scientists who are shedding new light on our world, and the museums and centers who are helping to disseminate it, we seek to create innovative, pleasurable and accessible audio information presentation solutions for the public to "get it" by hearing. Whether online or live, our work makes science accessible to more people through listening to the music of the spheres.
Created by computer scientist and composer/percussionist Marty Quinn, these sonifications demonstrate how data of all kinds can be translated into music for the purposes of expanding and enhancing our perception of the earth and our environment. Dr. Rita Colwell, former director of The National Science Foundation, cited this work in one of her speeches for being an innovative merging of art and science.
Last year , we toured "Walk on the Sun" (see pictures above) as part of new NASA sponsored program under the title "Light Runners". We showed the exhibit for a week at a time in 12 cities at science centers and run special programs for those who are blind and visually impaired at the science center or at centers for the blind. We are pleased to announce the exhibit may now be purchased from DRSRL. See the exhibits link or click here for details on Walk on the Sun.
The Light Runners program was based on a 2-year NASA Ideas grant to create a museum exhibit based on sonified, musically encoded representations of data and imagery from the STEREO Space Mission. New image sonification and visualization techniques for solar images and data has also led directly to new techniques to present works of art, increasing the accessible of art by making the content of paintings generate music based on the color data present in the pixels in a photograph of the art. We showcased and discussing these approaches at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific conference poster session on Sept 6th, 2007 in Chicago and the Soundscapes panel at the Art Education for the Blind 2007 Conference in NYC Sept 29, 2007 sponsored by Art Beyond Site and the MET. The grant included collaboration with the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in Concord, NH and UC Berkeley's Space Science Lab. See ArtMusic to see and hear examples of art as music.
New! Photomusic, ImageSonification and STEREO Solar Image Music pages related to image sonification.
New! Rock Around the Bow Shock: Sonification of data from the Cluster satellites. Recently featured in the 2007 July edition of ASTC magazine.
Solar Songs, recently commissioned by the Space Science Center at UNH, presents 7 sonifications of solar wind ACE spacecraft data during April of 1998. Iron/Oxygen ratios, electron charge states and up to 6 variables are presented simultaneously.
The Seismic Sonata is a musical retelling of the 1994 Northridge California Earthquake. Commissioned by the IRIS Consortium for use in museum displays, this sonification presents the seismic signals as heard from Albuquerque, NM. Various types of waves (P and S) can be heard as they strike over a 15-minute period. Dramatic sonifications feature the concept of an audio zoom to hear both fine and gross details of the wave shapes.
The Climate Symphony describes the ice core research of the Greenland Ice Sheet Project II and explains how the mathematical analysis of the data was transformed into music in a process known as sonification. The music expresses 8 climatic elements over 110,000 years as a 7 1/2 minute symphony. It was recently featured at the National Science Foundation and the American Museum of Natural History and is available as an entertaining talk with live drumming demonstrations of sonification and 3D graphics.


By Teachers, For Teachers
Is your school considering dropping physical education? Is recess going by the wayside in favor of another hour of math class? If so, you may want to encourage the administration to rethink this. There are some important benefits to physical education that you don't want to ignore.
Childhood obesity rates are rising at an alarming rate. From 1980 to 2012, the percent of children aged 6 to 11 who are obese has more than doubled. The 12-to-19 age group’s obesity rate went from 5 percent to 21 percent in the same time frame. The Centers for Disease Control warns that more than a third of all children in 2012 were overweight or obese.
This is a serious problem, and it affects all aspects of these children's lives, from their ability to function in school to their social skills and emotional health.
Lack of physical education is just one of many causes of this problem. Poor dietary choices on the part of many parents and the fast-food culture of our society, combined with a large number of electronic pastimes, are also contributing factors, but schools can only do so much to change these. Schools can, and should, insist on physical education and recess as a way to combat childhood obesity levels.
Fighting obesity is just one benefit of regular physical education. Children who are routinely active and have access to physical activity are at lower risk for heart disease, have lower blood pressure and have stronger bones and muscles. Motor skill development is also helped by regular physical activity.
Today's physical education classroom is different than the gym class of the past. Rather than pitting children against one another in athletic competitions, today's gym teacher creates a positive environment where students are encouraged to be active. This positive approach to physical education can help foster stronger peer relationships, even among kids who are not at the same level of physical fitness.
In addition, sports, dances and similar physical activities tend to be the social gatherings of older children. Physical education class gives a platform in which students can learn the skills they need for these social activities in the future.
Recess and physical education give kids the opportunity to get active and take their minds off traditional schoolwork — it’s a period of stress release in a busy school day. The American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that optimal cognitive processing in a child requires a period of interruption after instruction. They also indicated that periodic breaks from the academic day were beneficial to students of all ages. Physical education class and recess both provide this break, making kids better able to learn and process the information they are receiving from their teachers.
When teachers work together, gym class can also enforce the subjects taught in other classes. It can provide a real-life lab application for topics they’re learning about in science and math class, for example. The science or math teacher can point to the activities performed in P.E. as an example of important classroom concepts.
Finally, students benefit from improved emotional health when they get regular physical fitness instruction. Physical activity releases tension and anxiety, serving as a great stress reliever for many kids. Once stress has been released, kids are better equipped to face the challenges of the classroom and their social lives with greater emotional stability.
Physical fitness training can instill a strong sense of self-worth and self-confidence, especially for those students who struggle in the classroom. By working hard to attain a physical goal, students are able to gain a sense of achievement, which provides great emotional benefits.
Yes, physical education is important — just as important as algebra and English. If your school is talking about cutting physical education or recess time, put up a fight. Your students need these programs!
About the author:
David Reeves is Marketing Manager of Superior Playgrounds in Carrollton, GA. Superior Playgrounds is a total solutions manufacturer and supplier to industries like day care centers, schools and churches. They supply outdoor play equipment and components, including slides, bridges and climbers.


Numerous research studies show that a music education has a positive affect on student achievement and personal development.
- Music equips students with the foundational skills to learn. It cultivates critical thinking skills, prepares the brain for achievement and fosters superior working memory and vocabulary.
- Music education bolsters student engagement and achievement in other academic subjects. For example, studies show that it advances math achievement and boosts proficiency in reading and second languages.
- Music develops the abilities for lifelong success. It sharpens attentiveness, strengthens perseverance and supports self-esteem.
There are many benefits to a music education which is why......An Excellent Education Includes the Arts.
For more details, please use the link below to read "Music Matters: How Music Education Helps Students Learn, Achieve and Succeed." This research paper was created in May, 2018.


Lower School at Trinity
EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER
K3 – K5
Our early childhood classrooms are mini learning communities that create interest through an enriched curriculum, group activities, state-of-the-art technology and purposeful learning centers. We incorporate a hands-on learning environment which promotes creativity and critical thinking. Because teachers in our early childhood learning center are goal-oriented in their curriculum planning, they meet regularly to assess the effectiveness of their instruction. Our teachers strive to enhance the intrinsic link between social and emotional growth because these characteristics have proven to have a strong impact on a child’s cognitive development. All of this done through the lens of a biblical world and life view helps to round out an exceptional beginning for early learners.
1st Grade – 3rd Grade
Our primary grades strive to provide a smooth transition, academically and socially, for our children into each successive grade. The curriculum in our primary grades provides a stimulating learning environment, encouraging children to discover and actively explore the wonders of their world. The students are exposed to a well-balanced, foundational curriculum which includes instruction in reading, math, language, science and social studies. Primary grade teachers are keenly aware of how each child is created uniquely and purpose their instruction to encompass this Biblical truth. Our students participate in our school’s Apple technology integration program. Incorporating technology along with purposeful learning activities provides the foundation in reading and math that ultimately leads to students’ confidence and success in the classroom.
4th Grade – 5th Grade
Intermediate grades work together to promote Christian values and principles inside and outside the classroom. As students begin attending departmentalized classes, they benefit from targeted instruction in each subject area. Each year builds upon the sequence of lessons which have been taught in previous grades. Careful planning and collaboration with other teachers ensures that the interests, skills and abilities of students are met with a curriculum that is solid and challenging. This curriculum challenges students to continue learning in an environment that fosters critical thinking along with core knowledge. Macbooks, iPads, and Smartboards allow for interactive opportunities when learning or practicing skills.


The corrective reading program, Reading Club, at Richboro Elementary is a program that provides extra support in reading to students in grades 1 through 6. Students meet with the literacy specialist for 30-minute sessions in small groups 2-3 times per week during the regular school day. Reading Club helps students become more proficient readers. Students are not permanently placed in this program. Each child's growth in literacy development will determine the length of participation in the program.
Depending on the grade level, Reading Club will provide activities in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. In addition to receiving further instruction in the skills and strategies appropriate for the grade level, students will be encouraged to develop a positive attitude towards reading and, hopefully, a love of reading!


Can New App Help 'Lesson Study' Make Inroads in U.S. Schools?
As they grapple with new instructional expectations, a growing number of teachers are working to improve their practice through the "lesson study" approach to professional development, according to a KQED Mind Shift story.
The term lesson study is a translation of the Japanese phrase kenkyuu juygyou—literally,"research lessons." It is a highly developed practice of teaching and learning in Japan.
In lesson studies, teachers develop lessons to achieve a specific goal in collaboration with their colleagues, according to an OECD overview. During the lesson, participating teachers observe a colleague leading a lesson and are responsible for recording the lesson as well as compiling notes on instruction strategies and student behavior. The lesson is then followed up by a discussion in which the team examines the effective aspects, areas for improvement, and offer suggestions as well as insight.
"It gives you a chance to really think through all the details and address all the problems you are trying to address," Tom McDougal, executive director of Lesson Study Alliance in Chicago, told KQED. "And you do it with the moral and intellectual support of your colleagues and it's not evaluative."
According to the KQED story, lesson study has been used in Japan since the 1960s, when a teacher-centered elementary education took root. The Japanese education system advocates for the continuous improvement of teaching practice that is led by teachers.
To expand the use of the practice in the United States, McDougal and Akihiko Takahashi, a DePaul University math education professor, developed the Collaborative Lesson Research model, which offers a breakdown of the lesson-study process.
The Lesson Study Alliance has also developed an iPad app called Lesson Note that's designed to support the lesson studies.
The app gives teachers tools to take notes on each individual student through an online seating chart of the classroom. Observing teachers can also use a timer to gauge class time spent on student discussion and insert pictures within their time-stamped notes. Transitions between different stages of the lesson are also recordable, and users can upload student work.
In the U.S., interest in lesson study sparked in the late 1990s among U.S. teachers and policymakers, according to Dr. Catherine Lewis, the director of lesson-study research projects at Mills College in Oakland, Calif. The publication of The Teaching Gap, by James Stigler and James Hiebert, in 1999 included a chapter on "lesson study" and a video study of the practice in different countries.
However, time and space limitations—as well as questions about its impact on student performance—have curtailed its growth in U.S. schools.
McDougal hopes that more U.S. schools will make the shift to lesson study, suggesting that wider use of the practice could build instructional expertise.
He told KQED, "There's really only a handful of people in the U.S. who know lesson study and know content and know teaching, and are really good at analyzing the lesson and giving remarks at the end of the lesson."
Image: Collaborative Lesson Research, Lesson Study Alliance


Seifried, S. (2006). Exploring the outcomes of rock and popular music instruction in high school guitar class: A case study. International Journal of Music Education, 24(2), 168-177.
This research explored the impact of popular and rock music on high school students’ music education. The researcher conducted a case study on a large suburban high school in Northern Virginia (just outside of Washington, D.C.) that had a strong music department that included a guitar program with a strong popular music component. Fourteen students in the guitar program were selected to participate in two rounds of in-depth interviews. Results showed that students improved in their musical ability, increased their knowledge and appreciation of various forms of music, and felt that the guitar courses allowed them to explore their personal identities through song in a safe and welcoming space. Students also explained that they would not have become involved in school-based music if the student-centered guitar courses were not offered.
Many students commented that the ways they listened to music and their musical preferences expanded as a result of participating in the guitar courses. They reported listening to songs with a more sophisticated and critical ear. They explained how they had improved as musicians citing the musical skills they had learned including rhythm and learning how to read music. They also found examples of “real world” applications for the skills they were learning in class.
Students’ reasons for participation in the program varied. Several shared that they found guitar class more meaningful than other academic classes. Students who reported a strong dislike of school, and were often truant, reported high levels of enjoyment and engagement in the course. The majority of students admitted that they would not have become involved in music at school if the guitar courses had not been offered. They preferred the structure of the guitar course because they were able to explore music that interested them at their own pace in a relaxed and fun environment without a large public performance as the goal.
Most students did not self-report a connection between doing well in guitar class and doing well in academic subjects, however, some reported that participation in guitar motivated them to try harder in other classes. Other students reported feeling that time spent on guitar negatively affected school work, while others appreciated a break from academic classes. Many students appreciated the non-obligatory nature of guitar class that gave them a sense of freedom.
Students reported that their musical tastes correlated strongly with their identity, so that because they could study music that was important to them through the guitar program, they felt personal validation, acceptance and a safe space to be themselves.
Significance of the Findings:
These findings suggest that by structuring a music program that allows students to find a personal connection, study what interests them, and explore music without the pressure to perform may attract students to music who would not otherwise be interested or feel they are outsiders. Positive outcomes for these students could include improved musical ability, expanded musical taste and listening sophistication, and a safe space for supportive identity exploration.
The researcher selected a sample of students by administering a survey to 99 mostly white middle class high school students who attended a large suburban high school in Northern Virginia (just outside of Washington, D.C.) and who were enrolled in either beginning or intermediate guitar. The survey asked about students’ attitudes toward school, academic achievement and grade point averages. The researcher selected 14 students to participate in the study, most of whom evidenced low achievement and negative attitudes toward school. Each participated in two sets of in-depth interviews including a short open-ended interview and a long structured interview that was based on the data analysis from the first interview. In addition, the researcher randomly selected 16 additional students from the 85 students enrolled in guitar to form two focus groups of eight. These sessions were aimed to gather additional contextual information. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed.
Limitations of the Research:
Generalizing study findings is limited due to the small sample size and the case study nature of this study. In particular, it focuses on outcomes for a particular subgroup of students—those who may feel marginalized in school—but only considers the views of white middle class suburban youth.
Questions to Guide New Research:
Would the replication of this study in several different urban, suburban and rural high schools produce similar findings? Do the implications for a music program such as this have long term effects? Are there any correlations between academic improvement and participation in a music program such as this one?


By Princeton Review
If you want to comprehend it, it’s during this book. Cracking the AP Chemistry, 2013 variation includes:
• 2 full-length perform assessments with certain explanations
• Thorough topic stories of all themes, together with atomic constitution, thermodynamics, the periodic desk, basic legislation, natural chemistry, molecular binding, and key equations, legislation & formulas
• Helpful tables, charts, and diagrams
• Detailed suggestion on the right way to write a high-scoring essay
• Updated suggestions which replicate the AP try out scoring switch
Read Online or Download Cracking the AP Chemistry Exam, 2013 Edition PDF
Similar science for kids books
This ebook profiles the academic use of know-how within the technology lecture room from 1900 to the current day. Drawn from a range of resources - from instructor debts of lecture room perform, and modern study bills of the easiest educating practices with expertise - it examines styles of implementation with admire to the study room use of know-how.
Fabrics technology contains these elements of chemistry and physics that care for the homes of fabrics. It encompasses 4 periods of fabrics, the learn of every of that may be thought of a separate box: metals; ceramics; polymers and composites. fabrics technology is usually often called fabrics technological know-how and engineering since it has many purposes.
Deliver STEM to life for students with zombies, rockets, celebrities, and extra STEM to tale: spell binding and powerful Lesson Plans for Grades 5-8 evokes studying via enjoyable, enticing, and significant lesson plans that fuse hands-on discovery in technology, know-how, engineering, and math (STEM) with inventive writing.
Additional info for Cracking the AP Chemistry Exam, 2013 Edition
Each inner shell shields the more distant shells from the nucleus, reducing the pull of the nucleus on the valence electrons and making them easier to remove. Protons are also being added, but the shielding effect of the negatively charged electron shells cancels out the added positive charge. The Second Ionization Energy Is Greater than the First Ionization Energy When an electron has been removed from an atom, electron-electron repulsion decreases and the remaining valence electrons move closer to the nucleus.
The molar mass of an element will give you a pretty good idea of the most common isotope of that element. 0 and about 99 percent of the carbon in existence is carbon-12. The horizontal rows of the periodic table are called periods. The vertical columns of the periodic table are called groups. ELECTRONS QUANTUM NUMBERS The positions of the electrons in relation to the nucleus are described by their quantum numbers. Each electron has four quantum numbers that apply to its shell, subshell, orbital, and spin.
Grading these tests is hard work. Breaking a question into parts in this way makes it easier on the grader, who must match your response to a set of guidelines he or she has been given that describe how to assign partial and full credit. Each grader scores each test based on these rough guidelines that are established at the beginning of the grading period. For instance, if a grader has 3 points for the question about ionization energies, the points might be distributed the following way: One point for understanding ionization energy.


What is the Kodaly Method?:
Who created this method?:
What were Zoltan Kodaly's goals and philosophies?:
- Elevate the level of teacher training.
- Improve musical literacy in schools.
- Everyone is capable and has the right to musical literacy.
- Singing is the foundation of musical learning.
- Music education must begin with the very young.
- The importance of using folk music (native folk songs and folk songs of other countries) and music of high artistic value.
- Incorporating games, movement, playing instruments, reading and writing music with singing.
- Sequential process following a child's natural learning development:
Aural - oral - kinesthetic
Written - pictoral - abstract
Read - recognized
What types of music and instruments are used in the classroom?:
What are the musical instruments used? :
What is a typical lesson like and what are the key concepts learned?:
Using this method under the guidance of a certified Kodaly teacher, students can develop listening skills, sight-singing, ear training, learn how to play instruments, compose, improvise, sing, dance, analyze, read and write music.
Zoltan Kodaly Quotes:
“We should read music in the same way that an educated adult will read a book: in silence, but imagining the sound.”
"To teach a child an instrument without first giving him preparatory training and without developing singing, reading and dictating to the highest level along with the playing is to build upon sand.”
"Teach music and singing at school in such a way that it is not a torture but a joy for the pupil; instill a thirst for finer music in him, a thirst which will last for a lifetime."


Early Childhood Programmes
Design and Delivery
The programme is at the heart of any learning environment.
Life Learning believes that early childhood programmes should be planned, purposeful, progressive and systematic. This way we can develop a curriculum that empowers children to be the best they can be. Encouraging a love of learning, sparking imagination and creativity, and building strong social and emotional capabilities in each child.
We work with individual teachers and the leadership group to develop a programme that is purposeful for both teachers and children. So at the end of each working day teachers feel as if they’re making a real difference to children’s lives.
Curriculum Approaches and Frameworks – Reflection and Evaluation
Curriculum Approaches & Frameworks
Life Learning work with you to develop an individual programme that meets best practice standards and that is consistent with your vision and philosophy.
To do so the programme must be relevant to your early childhood centre and to the diverse set of teachers and children that make up your centre. Our approach responds to the setting, potential and challenges of your unique early childhood learning environment.
We help to develop:
- Vision and philosophy
- Values and culture
- A programme that reflects the needs of your philosophy, community and children
- Theorists and different curriculum approaches that reflects your philosophy
- Your integration with Te Whāriki (the New Zealand curriculum) into your daily programme
- A programme built on a planned, purposeful, progressive and systematic platform
Reflection and Evaluation
Life Learning work with you to construct comprehensive systems for reflection and evaluation, all guided by sound early childhood practices.
We help to:
- Ensure reflection and evaluation systems are ethical
- Develop systems that are developmentally appropriate
- Develop systems that promote positive learning outcomes for children
- Incorporate an ongoing comprehensive self review process
- Develop collaborative consultation processes
- Engage your teams into best practice of observing and documenting children’s learning
- Ensure the programme is making a difference to the learning outcomes of each and every child


Basic Music Theory
Learn the language of music: scales, keys, intervals, chords, rhythm, and more
Pre-Register now - we have started posting course materials and plan to have everything in place by early 2020! All handouts and worksheets already in place, videos coming soon...
We are committed to providing a full music curriculum here at the Mastering MuseScore School. Our courses will be focused primarily on practical applications to writing music - composing, arranging, transcribing, etc. We want to make sure you have the skills to create and express the music you want to, as well as the tool (MuseScore) to allow you to see, hear, and share the results!
The core of our music curriculum will be two courses on basic and advanced music theory. This is the basic course, designed to teach you the fundamentals of written music: notation of rhythm and pitch, and the construction of scales and chords, which are the building blocks of melody and harmony. In general, this is information one might be expected to know before entering college as a music major. The reality, however, is that many musicians are not as comfortable with this material as they could be, so this course is designed to serve as preparation for university-level music theory courses as well as for the advanced course we plan to launch soon here at the Mastering MuseScore School.
The advanced course will delve much deeper into the creation and development of melody, counterpoint, harmony, and other topics relating directly to creating music.
Music is a language, and music theory is its vocabulary and its grammar. Whether your goal is to compose new music, to transcribe or arrange music by others, to prepare for music school, to improve your sight-singing, to become a better improvisor, or just to work on your overall musicianship skills, learning the language of music is the key.
This course covers the basics of music literacy:
- Staff notation
- Other notations
These are the core concepts that provide the foundation for any deeper understanding of music. Completion of this course will prepare you for the advanced course to follow, as well as for other college-level music theory courses.
While there are many resources for learning music theory, my courses are unique in a number of important ways:
- The theory is presented in a very practical way, focusing on applications to creating music of your own
- Examples draw from a variety of genres to emphasize the universality of the concepts
- Lessons include video as well interactive virtual handouts for further reference
- Lessons are also accompanied by worksheets, with answers provided
- Ear training and and sight singing are integrated with the theory where applicable
- The instruction does not require proficiency on an instrument, as exercises can be completed and played back within MuseScore
- Courses include graded assessments and certification of successful completion
- All materials are designed to be as accessible as possible for blind and visually impaired musicians
This course is under development and the written materials have already started to appear. Videos will be added weekly and will remain up indefinitely, so you can follow along at your own pace.
Enroll now for a special discounted rate! This is a fantastic opportunity to join us on the ground floor as we embark on this innovative approach to learning music theory!
My name is Marc Sabatella, and I am the Director of Education for MuseScore. I am one of the developers of the software, and I have been teaching music for over 30 years. I have worked with countless students in person through university courses, community programs, and private lessons, and I have been one of the pioneers of online music education since the dawn of the World Wide Web. From the publication of my groundbreaking "Jazz Improvisation Primer" back in the 1990’s, to my years on the faculty at major music schools, and culminating in this Mastering MuseScore School, I have dedicated most of my life to helping as many musicians as I can.


Brussels Yunus Emre Institute has launched the Workshop for Turkish Language Activities for Children in cooperation with the Turkish Studies Harmonization and Research Center in Ghent, Belgium.
So far, several events have been held in the Belgian cities of Lokeren, Antwerp, Brussels, Mons, Ghent and Genk to help kids improve their Turkish language skills. During the workshop sessions, kids were gifted with "Bilim Çocuk" (Science for Kids) and "Meraklı Minik" (Curious Kid) journals, published by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), and they were provided with refreshments as they learned about Turkish proverbs and idioms through games and plays.
The kids aged between 5 and 12 years attended different sessions given by specialist teachers based on age groups, and they were given basic knowledge on scientific matters in an effort to arouse their interest in science and general culture.
Games and plays were used to help them learn about the selected proverbs and idioms found in the activities so that they can use Turkish correctly and fluently. The teachers also briefed the parents of the kids about Turkish language and education. The educational materials used during the activities were given to the kids as gifts.
Having implemented it in many cities across Belgium, Yunus Emre Institute's Brussels branch is planning to maintain it throughout 2020, and there are plans to roll it out to other regions and countries through Yunus Emre Institute's branches.


Our elementary-level Montessori program focuses on developing students through an innovative curriculum that includes nine areas: Language, geography, history, biology, music, mathematics, art, physical education, and cosmic education, which encourages children to think about their role and responsibility in society.
We offer comprehensive instruction in reading, writing and speaking in a manner that prepares children for the next level of their education. We immerse students in the beauty of language by poetry, prose and discussion. When students understand the wonders of language, they are encouraged to explore the endless possibilities that language can offer.
Our geography instruction begins with our own surroundings, so students learn to appreciate the beauty and wonder that is literally in their own backyards. The goal of this part of the curriculum is to have children view the mountains and oceans that surround them with informed curiosity to inspire a thirst for deeper knowledge about the physical world.
We explore the history of the physical world and human civilization. Students will not only learn about significant events, but of world cultures and universality of the human experience. We teach history as a way to understand the past, as well as our present and future.
Our study of the biological world includes includes animals, plants and physiology. Using hands-on learning techniques, children get a solid foundation towards understanding this crucial branch of science.
Children learn how to read and write music and then get to put it into practice through singing exercises each day.
Giving children a cosmic education is a key component of Dr. Maria Montessori’s teachings. She believed that children should be educated in “unifying global and universal views of the past, present and future.” Through a variety of fun and educational activities and exercises, we help children understand their place and their relationship to the world around them.
We give children a solid foundation for understanding abstract mathematical concepts by introducing them to the structure of the decimal system, the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and other key concepts.
We encourage active play that is safe and fun. This helps children develop physical strength, motor skills, personal confidence and social development. As part of our physical education curriculum, we offer flexibility and strength training, as well as nutrition education.
Through our art education program, children learn the basic techniques of a variety of media, including watercolors, chalks, pastels, clay, colored pencil drawing and collage.


|These details defined Tue Dec 5 18:04:03 2017||edit|
|Author:||O Toole, Emma|
|Title:||Music in the Irish Primary School|
|Degree, institution:||BA, University of Limerick|
|Status, year:||accepted, 2016 (20/04/2016 )|
|Volumes, pp., etc.:||1, 9000 words|
|Repository:||University of Limerick|
|General specialism:||Music Education|
|Content, key terms:|
The primary objective of this research was to investigate music within Primary schools of the Republic of Ireland. The study sought the wisdom of a number of teachers currently employed in a variety of schools across the country. It investigated the status of music as a subject in the present-day Irish system.
This research investigated the extent to which the Music Curriculum, 1999 is being implemented in their schools. Findings of this research brought to light the issues of time allocation and the prioritizing of subject areas such as literacy and numeracy.
Issues such as teacher confidence, music as a learning tool and the importance of resources were all discussed as part of this study.
Findings from this research also express how influential music can be in ways that do not always meet the eye. Music has remarkable powers and this research discusses just how important music can be and how beneficial it can be for children.


This article by Elizabeth Pretorius (UNISA) is easily one of the best academic articles I’ve read this year! I would strongly recommend that anyone interested in (1) reading/literacy, (2) the education crisis in SA, or (3) how to get out of the mess we are currently in, should read this article!
Pretorius, E. 2014. Supporting transition or playing catch-up in Grade 4? Implications for standards in education and training. Perspectives in Education. 32 (1), pp 51-76.
This paper describes an intervention programme that was originally intended to support transition to English as language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in Grade 4 in a township school, using a pre- and post-test design. Because the pre-tests revealed very poor literacy levels in both Zulu home language and English, the intervention programme was modified in an attempt to fast-track the learners to literacy levels more appropriate to their grade. This paper outlines the intervention, presents the pre- and post-test results of the English literacy assessments, reflects on the effects of the intervention, and briefly considers some of the reasons for the initial poor literacy performance. Finally, a model for literacy development in high-poverty contexts is proposed to minimise the need to play catch-up in the Intermediate Phase.


All Yellow Class pupils are making tremendous progress with our numeracy skills. Most pupils now feel confident to be able to count from 1 to 10 with the rest of the class. We are using our maths lessons to put in place a number of different programmes that help the Yellow Class pupils to understand the concept of a simple number line.
Working on the class whiteboard, we have been inviting each class member to choose their favourite number line game. A popular choice has been the frog seesaw game! A seesaw is shown with a different number of frogs sitting at each end. Our task is to count how many frogs are at both ends, and then to work out how many frogs will need to be added to balance out the seesaw. We have found that if one end contains three frogs and the other side only one, two more frogs are needed to balance out the seesaw.


We know that a child’s ability to read is the key to their achievement in all curriculum areas. DfE analysis suggests that if all pupils in England read for enjoyment every day or almost every day, the boost to their academic performance would be huge! But did you know that reading also has a wider impact on mental health and wellbeing? Alongside the educational benefits, research suggests that reading helps you sleep better, improves social awareness, increases levels of creativity and can decrease levels of stress by more than two thirds!
The level of parental participation has a huge effect on a child’s literacy development, not just when they have started to read written words, but way before this too. A child’s literacy experiences before they start school have a significant effect on their educational success.
So in a nutshell: Good literacy skills support wellbeing, accelerate performance at school and throughout life. Children are most likely to acquire good literacy skills through being taught the skills of reading at school and having regular opportunities to practice at home. So please work with us to promote reading as a valuable and worthwhile activity. Please ensure that your child, no matter what age is being read to, or reading themselves, regularly at home.
In doing this we will support our children to understand the importance of reading and strengthening the culture of reading for pleasure at Fairlands!


Jack Van Zandt: "Sí An Bhrú" for piano and fixed electronics (2016)
Time and the River • Stonecutting • Spirals and Zigzags (Homage à Boulez)
Dance of Renewal • Eternal River • Starlit Night
Located along Ireland’s Boyne Valley, Sí an Bhrú, or Newgrange as it is known in English, built around 3200 BCE, is one of the oldest extant buildings in the world. The astronomically aligned Neolithic construction consists of a large earthen mound encircled by a stone wall lined with large, elaborately decorated stones. There is a stone-lined passageway that leads from the outside into a central stone-enclosed chamber with alcoves. Each year on the winter solstice, the rising sun shines through a small slit above the entry and light travels directly down the passageway, illuminating the interior chamber for 17 minutes. Commonly known as a “passage grave,” Sí an Bhrú is much more than a burial site—it is an encyclopedia of Late Stone Age artistic practices, and engineering, scientific and agricultural knowledge.
The musical structure of "Sí an Bhrú" takes the form of continuous variations on cyclic thematic materials that fall into several titled sections based on architectural, environmental, scientific and geometrical aspects of the building that suggested musical expression. "Time and the River" portrays the infinite, slow-motion flow of time in the progression of celestial objects, nature, the seasons and the nearby River Boyne. "Stonecutting" represents technologies that enabled the builders the ability to move and shape the giant heavy stones. "Spirals and Zigzags" (Homage à Boulez) is based on the shapes that decorate the stones, evidence of sophisticated abstract thinking, as well as an acute awareness of nature. "Dance of Renewal" is an imaginary ritual dance for the winter solstice, propelled by a gradually emerging ostinato. A brief return to the piece’s beginning, "Eternal River", leads back to the outside world and the timeless wonder of a moonless, crystal-clear "Starlit Night".
"Sí an Bhrú" was commissioned by and is dedicated to Nadia Shpachenko.
Jack Van Zandt is a Los Angeles composer of music for concerts, public spaces, gallery installations, television, film and advertising. He studied composition with Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, Thea Musgrave, Peter Racine Fricker and Emma Lou Diemer. His concert music has been performed in the USA, Canada and Europe, and his commercial music, composed in partnership with Joel Wachbrit, is regularly heard on broadcast and cable TV. He has scored documentary and silent films, and his electronic music has been used for installations, multimedia presentations, and meditation videos and workshops. He is also a writer, teacher, music education program designer, concert producer, and frequent university guest lecturer on various musical subjects. He was Visiting Artist at Cal Arts in 2017. He has recently received commissions from the Copland House Foundation, the Cal Poly Pomona Piano Ensemble, Celliola, LA Harptette, bass-baritone Nicholas Isherwood, and soprano Stacey Fraser, who will premiere his new music theater work with a libretto by Jill Freeman, “The New Frontier,” in 2020. Jack is a member of the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Composers Forum, of which he was president 2014-17.
“Architects and composers have been influencing and inspiring each other for centuries: a work of music in its metaphysical environment and a building in its earthly environment are closely related and deeply felt artistic expressions created by utilizing space in the context of time through direct application of the physical sciences and mathematics. The Neolithic building Sí an Bhrú inspired me by its 5,500 years of existence in the Irish landscape, the method and process of its construction, and its encyclopedic representation of Stone Age knowledge and experience.”


By Maren Schmidt, Author of Understanding Montessori
Most ten-year-olds can tell you the stages of development for a butterfly or a frog. A butterfly begins as an egg, becoming a larva, a caterpillar, then a chrysalis emerging into a butterfly. A frog starts as an egg, hatching into a tadpole, turning into a polliwog, at last transforming into an adult frog. At each stage of change the frog and butterfly have differing needs for nourishment and environment.
As human beings, we also go through distinct changes, perhaps not with the physical drama of a butterfly or frog, but with identifiable changes in behavior with indicated physical and psychological needs. Too many times children are treated as though they are miniature adults. The human being, though, does not fully reach adulthood until around the age of twenty-four years.
In the infant who cannot feed him or herself, it is easy for us to observe the swift changes of the first two years of life. By the age of three years, a child learns to crawl, walk, talk, and eat table food, along with a multitude of self-care skills that help the child become more independent from caregivers.
Unfortunately for many of our children, this early independence leads adults to think that children three years and older are tiny grown-ups.
Many of us are more aware of the requirements of cocoons and polliwogs than children’s needs between the ages of three to six years.
The three to six-year-old is in a period of unconscious learning, absorbing information about his or her time and place from every aspect of the immediate environment. The child is unaware of learning and chooses to place his or her attention on activities that are repeated frequently. The child watches, listens, copies others and learns. This style of learning creates the following distinct needs for the young child:
- A need for an environment rich in language and experiences as vocabulary and story-telling capabilities are developed.
- A need to use his or her hands to connect the body and the brain to the realities of life.
- A need to create an emotional foundation built on the love, trust and respect of surrounding adults.
- A need to repeat activities in order to develop self-mastery and independence.
- A need for direct guidance on how to interact with people–within the family and the larger social network of school, church and other activities.
- A need for opportunities to refine the five senses of hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling and touching and to connect precise language to those experiences.
- A need for truthful and accurate information as the young child doesn’t have a wealth of experiences to discern between fact and fiction, fantasy and reality.
- A need for movement as the brain requires the body’s motions for optimum neural development.
- A need for opportunities to exercise his or her will by having freedom within limits that enlarge as skills grow.
During this period of building foundational skills, the child is laying the groundwork for the adult he or she will become. The child is father to the man.
As the first tooth is lost and adult teeth emerge around the ages of six or seven years, the child begins a different phase of development. At this age, we notice that the baby face look of the younger child is replaced by a taller thinner appearance. The older child wants opportunities to go out into the world and step outside the familiar circle of family, school and church; desires novel experiences; is concerned with friends and working in a group instead of focusing on personal skills; wants to know why and problem solve; is concerned with learning about right and wrong; desires an idea of the big picture of the universe.Observe the differences between a four-year-old and a seven-year-old and you should see creatures as different as a larva to a caterpillar, or a tadpole to a polliwog.
We’d make sure a caterpillar had the right leaves to eat, and a polliwog had a pond. Let’s use our influence as adults to create a world where our children have the opportunities to grow and change in the time specific ways children need.


…where all children are given equal opportunity to prosper in an ever complex and changing financial world
We’re not far off but we need to change the way we educate our children in their early years
Authored by Sarah Willingham, BBC Dragon, Consumer Champion and Mum of Four
Financial education for young people is something of a hot topic at the moment, and it’s really no surprise when you consider that 9 Million people in the UK struggle with problem debt totalling £1.47 Trillion! 20% of these people are between the ages of 18 and 24, and the problem isn’t getting any better. Worse still, there are 2.5 Million children living in families with problem debt, and I think this really hurts their chances of staying out of debt themselves when they get older.
As a parent and campaigner for financial education, I believe passionately that not enough is being done to tackle the problem of personal debt or to address the low levels of financial education in the UK. This week I was asked to deliver a speech on the subject at the launch of a report into the effectiveness of financial education.
Financial education needs to start early
It’s absolutely vital that we educate our kids about money from a young age – because that’s when it counts! Children’s money habits are set from as young as 7 – and I can certainly vouch for that from my own personal experiences. Between the ages of 5 and 9 is when we as a society have an enormous influencing our children’s minds and perceptions.
My mission is to see financial education being part of the primary school curriculum, and to support this agenda, on Monday 23rd May, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People released a report, ‘Financial Education in Schools: Two Years on – Job Done?’. The report came out of a six-month parliamentary inquiry into how we can better equip our children with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need in money matters to better navigate financial decisions in later life.
The report found that teachers are lacking support and resources, in the form of training and materials, to educate children on good money management skills.
Financial education still remains a low priority in schools, despite the effects it has on the economy. Children’s education on money matters needs to start earlier and this issue must be of greater priority to government.
I spent a large part of last year visiting a number of schools, meeting with parents to understand how they feel about teaching their kids good money skills and what they would like to see. Almost all of those I spoke to asked for help!
Research from Experian found that a lack of knowledge, time, confidence and resources prevent parents from taking an active role in teaching their kids good money skills.
Yet further research from Experian showed that children born in the new millennium who enjoy a positive parental influence have around twice the savings and half the debt as those who don’t.
This proves that those children that have parents who are unwilling or unable to support financial education are at a distinct disadvantage. This risk can be mitigated by making financial education, which is delivered effectively, a compulsory element of both the primary and secondary curricula.
It’s never too early to start teaching our children good money management but… it can be too late!!!
Teachers do need support – such as training and access to resources that will help them deliver effective financial education to our children but it’s not just down to them.
Financial education can be and should also be taught from home. As parents, we need to be telling our children the value of money. On the weekly shop, show them the difference in price of products and get them to earn their pocket money.
As a society we have to act, and work, together to get this issue higher on the government agenda and ensure our kids are getting the financial education they need to help them prosper in later life.
Skint Dad contributors offering a different and unique voice to help you save, learn and earn.


Best Minerals And Rocks Video for Kids
Minerals and Rocks
We live on a planet that has a crust miles thick with the rock. Rock is the basic unit that makes our planet earth. It supports everything from the ground we walk on to our oceans, deserts, and mountains. When we talk about rocks, we are also talking about minerals. All rocks are made from more than one mineral. Geologists define a mineral as a naturally occurred solid that has a distinct chemical composition and consistent in internal structure. Minerals can be elements or compounds gold, silver and diamonds are three examples. The earth is constantly changing and so are the rock and minerals it contains. They get redistributed and recycled over and over again in a process called the rock cycle. Over millions of years, rocks are continuously made, changed and destroyed. At the surface, people break down the earth’s rocks and put them to good use. Throughout the history, we have learned to depend on them. Today they help to cover our roads, support our buildings etc. Forces of nature also take the toll on the rocks of the earth’s surface. Wind, water, and gravity are always at work. The results can be very dramatic but for all this destruction, new rocks are constantly forming.
Some particles of rock get deposited and harden into sedimentary rock. Others get buried, compacted, heated and re-crystallized beneath the surface of the earth. Temperatures are so hot at great depths of earth that minerals and rocks often melt and become liquid. Over time the liquid cools creating new rocks that eventually get pushed to the surface again. Sometimes this process happens quickly during events like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes but most of the times it takes millions of years. As a result of this ongoing cycle, earth holds a tremendous variety of rocks that differ in the minerals they contain. They vary in color, texture, and permeability and so on. Geologists study these rocks in search of invaluable clues about the history of the earth. Like rings in a tree, they hold information about past environments and the events that formed them.
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The growing demand for strong literacy skills among children and adults is said to have informed the declaration of the International Literacy Day by the UN. The Day was meant to raise awareness globally on the issues surrounding adult and child literacy and remind stakeholders and the public of the current status of adult literacy and learning.
The theme for the 2019 ‘Literacy and Multilingualism’, stresses that embracing linguistic diversity in education and literacy development is central to addressing literacy challenges and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Ministry of Education in Abuja, on Friday, organised an event centered around multilingualism to celebrate the World Literacy Day where stakeholders agreed that though there was considerable achievement in dealing with early literacy difficulties and the menace of out-of-school adults, there should be more public awareness about adult literacy as well as the need for kids to learn a second language.
In his remarks, Minister of State for Education Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba said literacy was a basic human right and that successful literacy was founded on the inculcation of language skills. “Literacy, in turn, enhances and extends oral language abilities in its entire ramification throughout one’s lifetime,” he stated.
According to the minister, literacy enhances self-confidence, self-esteem and opens up new world of opportunities, in addition to boosting innovation, prosperity, tolerance, peace and security.
He said multilingual approaches to teaching and learning which referred to the use of two and more languages as medium of instruction were crucial elements for the acquisition of basic literacy and numeracy skills among youths and adults.
He stressed that in recognition of the fact that respect for languages of people belonging to different linguistic and cultural communities was essential to peaceful coexistence, UNESCO supported language as an essential component of inter-cultural education with the aim of encouraging understanding among diverse population groups.
The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Professor Abba Abubakar Haladu, called for more support and commitment from governments, development partners and pressure groups in dealing with the literacy challenges facing the country.
He urged Nigerians to embrace the use of local languages in education and literacy to improve the future of everyone in the society.
In her message, Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay said the world was rich and diverse with about 7,000 living languages and that these languages were instruments for communication, engagement in lifelong learning, and participation in society and the world of work.
They are also closely linked with distinctive identities, cultures, worldviews and knowledge systems. Embracing linguistic diversity in education and literacy development was therefore a key part of developing inclusive societies that respect “diversity” and “difference”, upholding human dignity.
Also, the use of more than one language in daily life has become much more common with greater human mobility and the growing ubiquity of multimodal and instantaneous communication, she said.
Azoulay further stated that while the use of certain languages had expanded for cross-country and community dialogue, numerous minority and indigenous languages have been endangered adding “these trends have implications for literacy development.”
Again, the different aspects of policies and practice that interact for the promotion of literacy, building a solid literacy base in a mother language, before moving to a second or foreign language had multiple benefits, she also said.
“However, about 40% of the world’s population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand. We need to change this by making policies and practice more linguistically and culturally relevant, enriching multilingual literate environments and exploring the potential of digital technology,” she stressed.
The DG explained that for more than seven decades, UNESCO had supported mother language-based, multilingual approaches to education as a means to enhance education quality and intercultural understandings.


A stratigraphic unit is a volume of rock of identifiable origin and relative age range that is defined by the distinctive and dominant, easily mapped and recognizable petrographic, lithologic or paleontologic features (facies) that characterize it.
Units must be mappable and distinct from one another, but the contact need not be particularly distinct. For instance, a unit may be defined by terms such as "when the sandstone component exceeds 75%".
Sequences of sedimentary and volcanic rocks are subdivided on the basis of their lithology. Going from smaller to larger in scale, the main units recognised are Bed, Member, Formation, Group and Supergroup.
A bed is a lithologically distinct layer within a member or formation and is the smallest recognisable stratigraphic unit. These are not normally named, but may be in the case of a marker horizon.
A member is a named lithologically distinct part of a formation. Not all formations are subdivided in this way and even where they are recognized, they may only form part of the formation.
A local church, sometimes called a particular church, is a Christian religious organization or community that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by clergy or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek non-profit corporate status.
Local churches often relate with, affiliate with, or consider themselves to be constitutive parts of denominations, which are also called churches in many traditions. Depending on the tradition, these organizations may connect local churches to larger Christian traditions, ordain and defrock clergy, define terms of membership and exercise church discipline, and have organizations for cooperative ministry such as educational institutions and missionary societies. Non-denominational churches are not part of denominations, but may consider themselves part of larger Christian movements without institutional expression.
Singing can be formal or informal, arranged or improvised. It may be done for religious devotion, as a hobby, as a source of pleasure, comfort, or ritual, as part of music education, or as a profession. Excellence in singing requires time, dedication, instruction, and regular practice. If practice is done on a regular basis then the sounds can become more clear and strong. Professional singers usually build their careers around one specific musical genre, such as classical or rock, although there are singers with crossover success (singing in more than one genre). They typically take voice training provided by voice teachers or vocal coaches throughout their careers.
Sings is the first album to be released by Emi Tawata under label Techesko The CD contains several songs she had released before on an EP or a single. The songs Naturally and Into You have a complete new arrangement thanks to the Soul Infinity band. Also Can't Reach has been remixed and have new vocals. The album includes a cover of Joy To The World which was used in the Suzuki Splash commercial. The CD+DVD version is limited to 10,000 copies. The DVD tracklist was released on 1 October. The name of the DVD is Sings: Soulgraphy2006-2009 and includes all her released PVs, several interviews and live performances. The album charted on the weekly Oricon charts at #111 and sold 1,699 copies so far.


Genesis: The Collective Strength
The creation of National Coalition for Education (NCE) in India was highly influenced by the global political atmosphere on right to education. Beginning in 1990 with the Jomtien Conference and the adoption of the World Declaration on Education for All there has been a continued push to get every child into school. However, there was very little progress being made and ten years later, in 2000, the World Education Forum was held in Dakar, Senegal, and an agreement was made on the objective of having EFA by 2015. Six targets were set up stating that quality education should be available for free for everyone. One of the biggest players present at the forum was the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) that was created from the efforts of INGO’s Action Aid, Oxfam GB, and Education International that wanted to set up a global coordinated funding initiative. The GCE promised to mobilize and create public pressure on governments to follow up on their promises to provide free high quality education for all people, especially for children and women (GCE 2009).
The NCE was formed as a product of the prolonged struggle of like-minded organizations, groups and individuals on the issues of education in India. The idea of establishing a national coalition in India initially began in 1996 when several of the current members began working together of the issue of EFA.
Some Major Milestones
- The Parliamentary Forum for Ensuring Right to Education (PFRTE) has been instrumental in taking the voices of people, speaking out about the deteriorating education system in India, to the parliament and getting them actually heard.
- Large-scale lobbying and advocacy efforts through mass mobilisation, signature campaigns, and public hearings by the NCE paved the way for the 86th Constitutional Amendment, making education free and compulsory for children between 6 and 14 years.
- Incessant pressure building and networking with like-minded organizations all over India triggered responses from political circles and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government levied 2% education cess (a surcharge levied by the government for education) and passed the allocation of 6% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for education.
- NCE contributed in getting the government to agree in principle to increase the public expenditure on education to 6% of the GDP.
- NCE has played a significant role in the formation of Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) forums in many states of India. The MLA forums have since been playing a commendable role in raising issues related to education.
- At the grassroots level, NCE is playing an instrumental role in the formation and strengthening of School Managing Committees in villages. Such committees, which comprise people’s representatives, teachers and local government, take into account the implementation and monitoring of the RTE Act.
- Advocating and pressurizing the government to fulfill its promises on the RTE Act through a Global Action Week (GAW) with partners and a network every year. This week takes place in 10 states of India every year with participation of millions of students, teachers, civil society groups, international organizations and grass-roots movements.
National Coalition for Education is working with the following objectives
NCE strives to restore the fundamental rights of every child, without exception, to receive free and quality education up to the age of 18, on the basis of equal opportunity and without discrimination on the basis of gender, class, caste, ethnicity or religion.
NCE calls for attention to the need to build a national movement towards an educated India. Some specific objectives for this are the following:
- The implementation of the RTE Act in states which are at a slow pace and advocating for speedy notification.
Six percent of GDP and 20 percent of government expenditure should be prioritized for education, and half of this public spending on education needs to be targeted towards elementary education.
- To ensure quality of education, regular and trained teachers should be recruited in place of untrained and para-teachers. Para- teachers recruited so far should be trained and regularized.
- The existing laws should be amended suitably and implemented strictly for total eradication of the menace of child labour and child trafficking, and all children of the age group 0-18 years are enrolled in schools.
- Make constitutional provisions that stipulate that education is a right, in line with the UN Convention.
- Changes should be carried out in the proposed legislation for quality education system with measurable indicators so that parents and the community can monitor the quality of education.
- There should be common schooling system for all children, irrespective of their parents’ socio-economic status.
NCE advocates quality of all government schools at par with Kendriya Vidyalayas (Central School).


Transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn is essential for students moving into intermediate grades, middle, and high school. Adolescent readers must be able to navigate increasingly complex texts and develop the deeper knowledge of the topics they are studying. Reading proficiency is foundational to a student’s ability to master the complex subject matter required in higher grades.
Before students can master the 4 Cs—critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication—they must be reading on grade level. Middle and high school students who are not proficient readers fall more and more behind their classmates and are at risk for dropping out before graduation. It is difficult for these students to become successful readers without direct intervention and extensive practice.
To help them achieve success, teachers need a comprehensive English language curriculum that leverages the best of teacher-led and online instruction in a blended learning environment supported by ongoing assessments, data analytics and comprehensive literacy guidance for teachers.
Students will become motivated for success through research-based, targeted intervention and practice. As their language skills improve, students will not only be capable of reading and understanding complex texts but will also produce more sophisticated writing. Immediate, positive feedback rewards them for developing stronger skills.
is a comprehensive ELA program that combines the most current research with motivational, classroom-tested strategies to fill gaps in literacy. Students immediately respond to their teacher and peer coaches, and the age-appropriate content means students stay engaged while they achieve success.
Webinar: Motivating Struggling Adolescent Readers
Motivating non-proficient readers with a track record of failure is the focus of this webinar from leading reading researcher Dr. Louisa Moats and Sheryl Ferlito, high school reading specialist from Chippewa Valley Schools in Michigan. Getting students to believe that they can become successful readers is an enormous challenge. Dr. Moats and Ferlito discuss strategies to motivate adolescents to achieve reading success.
The consequences of poor reading skills are clear. Each year, 1.3 million students drop out of high school, and 70 percent of them have poor reading skills that not only keep them from graduating but also impact their potential lifetime earnings. This report outlines the research base for proven strategies to intervene and turn struggling readers into successful readers.
Readers who struggle in middle and high school face unique challenges that must be addressed with specific intervention strategies in a way that develops foundational skills while engaging students in age-appropriate, high-interest topics. This guide clearly lays out the elements of a successful adolescent intervention program so that districts can choose a research-based, effective reading program with confidence.
Leading-edge research about what it takes to turn struggling adolescent readers into successful ones is the underpinning for this award-winning reading curriculum. It meets students where they are and takes them to where they need to go with direct instruction and scaffolded practice. It’s effective because it fosters both foundational and advanced learning and effectively engages students to achieve reading proficiency—laying the groundwork for college and career readiness.


When a student is falling behind in reading, time matters. We created the Sonday System with Orton-Gillingham expert, Arlene Sonday, to create a powerful tool that preserves the widely studied and proven Orton-Gillingham method while improving its usability and accessibility. The Sonday System is the only tool that gives anyone — from experienced reading educators to volunteer tutors — the opportunity to identify, intervene and help struggling students catch up with their peers using effective multisensory instruction.
Let’s Play Learn offers structured, systematic, multisensory practice for preschool through kindergarten students. It is used as a tool to develop foundational reading skills and prevent reading difficulties, or as intervention for those who need to strengthen pre-reading skills. Each lesson plan uses proven Orton-Gillingham methods to provide effective intervention in whole class and small group settings.
Sonday System 1 offers structured, systematic, multisensory reading intervention for beginning readers through the end of 2nd grade reading level. Each lesson plan uses proven Orton-Gillingham methods to provide effective intervention in small group settings.
Sonday System 2 offers structured, systematic, multisensory reading intervention for intermediate readers within a 3rd through 8th grade reading level. Each lesson plan uses proven Orton-Gillingham methods to provide effective intervention in small group settings.
Teach Orton-Gillingham to the whole class.Sonday System Essentials is a systematic, direct, and explicit way to teach phonics and other essential reading skills to the whole class using multisensory Orton Gillingham methods. It is designed to supplement Tier 1 core curriculum by filling the gap of incomplete phonics instruction left by the typical core curricula.
Created by John A. Caliso, Ph.D., SIBS (Student Inventory for Behavior Support) helps educators make objective, data-driven intervention decisions for students challenged by academic, emotional and behavioral issues.
Student Inventory for Behavior Support (SIBS)
- PRICE: $25.00 — per user per month
- Purchase an Online Access Code
This instructional program teaches number sense, place value, the four arithmetic operations, money and numbers up to nine digits. As an intervention, it introduces students who struggle with math to new instructional approaches, strategies and ways of thinking.


Our Nursery Programme
Age: 3 to 4 years old
Focus: The nursery programme serves as a bridging course to prepare our children for the more rigorous kindergarten programme. The development of moral values, social skills, self-discipline and creativity, become the central emphasis at this stage. Greater opportunities are provided for children to develop basic language and numeracy skills.
Uniqueness: On top of inculcating moral values through daily interactions, the teaching of moral values is formally introduced. Learning activities are gradually intensified to prepare eager young minds to acquire both concrete and conceptual understanding of the world around them.
Example: Specially selected stories with strong moral values are regularly shared during lessons to reinforce good values and behaviours. More time are devoted to the learning of numeracy concepts and skills. Enrichment programmes such as English Creative Writing, Chinese Performing Arts are integrated into the curriculum to enhance children’s learning experiences from Nursery 2 onwards.


Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE)
CAL partnered with several institutions in the Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE), a National Research and Development Center for English language learners. CREATE’s program of research was designed to enhance the empirical research base for Grade 4-8 readers by developing and testing effective interventions that promote content knowledge and language and literacy development; by investigating the features of instruction and types of text modifications that facilitate learning for ELLs; by designing, testing, and delivering professional development that will help teachers implement effective classroom practices; and by disseminating findings and information about effective practices.
Working under a 5-year contract awarded to the University of Houston from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, CAL was involved in two broad areas of research under CREATE. The first, Project QuEST, Quality English and Science Teaching, involved research on a systematic intervention model to concurrently develop science content and language and literacy skills in middle school second-language learners. The second study, Impact of the SIOP Model on Middle School Science and Language Learning, investigated the impact of the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) Model on student academic achievement in middle school science, a subject area with high language demands. The SIOP Model is a research-based approach that integrates grade-level content with academic English language development.
CAL also lead dissemination activities for the Center. CREATE organized annual conferences by CREATE investigators on topics related to the center’s work. A capstone conference took place in 2011 that highlighted current research on methods for building literacy skills and oral language development for English language learners across the content areas.


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The role of the student-teacher relationship in the lives of fifth graders: A mixed methods analysis
The intent of this mixed methods study was to develop a more holistic understanding of the student-teacher relationship from the perspective of the fifth graders in two mid-western elementary schools on either end of the poverty spectrum. Quantitative data was gathered through the ClassMaps Survey (CMS) and analyzed for correlations with growth in student achievement data as measured by the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP). In the qualitative follow-up, the CMS data was further explored through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data sources were analyzed for themes so as to provide a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics and importance of the student-teacher relationship in the lives of the fifth grade students in both schools. Results showed students attending both types of schools could have similar, favorable perceptions of their relationships with their teachers and that it is the individual teacher which has an effect on student's perceptions of those relationships. Quantitative analysis revealed a greater number of significant correlations between student performance (MAP) and student perceptions of the student-teacher relationship (CMS) in the more affluent school. Also, a greater number of students in the affluent school felt their teachers had an effect on them and their lives outside of school than students attending the poverty school. The most important findings came from theme-analysis of the student interviews, which produced a list of teacher characteristics most-valued by students in both schools. These themes/characteristics included: a sense of humor; consistent help (with high expectations); active listening; value for the group as well as the individual; the inclusion of games for learning; and the use of spoken and written encouragement. In other words, students appreciated when their teachers actively listened and encouraged them, as well as provided a fun and supportive, yet challenging environment where the entire class could learn. Additionally, students seemed to be much more concerned with the behaviors and treatment from their teachers than with the physical appearance of their teachers. In addition to providing goals for teachers, these themes may also serve to assist administrators in hiring positions to more effectively choose teachers.
Elementary education|Teacher education
Knoell, Christopher M, "The role of the student-teacher relationship in the lives of fifth graders: A mixed methods analysis" (2012). ETD collection for University of Nebraska - Lincoln. AAI3499134.


Essential Elements For Strings - Violin, Book 1 (w/CD & EEi)
Essential Elements for Strings - Book 1 with EEi for Violin. Essential Elements for Strings. Instructional, Methods and Play Along. Method book, accompaniment CD-ROM and DVD. 48 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.868049).
ISBN 0634038176. Instructional, Methods and Play Along. 9x12 inches.
(Essential Elements for Strings and Essential Elements Interactive are fully compatible with Essential Elements 2000 for Strings)
Essential Elements for Strings offers beginning students sound pedagogy and engaging music, all carefully paced to successfully start young players on their musical journey. EE features both familiar songs and specially designed exercises, created and arranged for the classroom in a unison-learning environment, as well as instrument-specific exercises to focus each student on the unique characteristics of their own instrument. EE provides both teachers and students with a wealth of materials to develop total musicianship, even at the beginning stages.
Books 1 and 2 also include access to Essential Elements Interactive (EEi), the ultimate online music education resource - anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Go to essentialelementsinteractive.com to learn more!


When children are in kindergarten and/or daycare, there is always an adult nearby and opportunities to communicate with friends. If they have trouble communicating there is always a teacher or parent nearby to support them. Once they enter elementary school, children will need to control their feelings and emotions by themselves.
Having an adult as a role model will help prepare them to express their emotions properly when they get older. Children lose their self-confidence when they have problems controlling their emotions. Parents can help children learn how to express their emotions properly. In this article, we will introduce some actions parents can take from when their child is young that will help them learn how to express themselves better.
Having an adult that empathizes with them closeby will make children feel comfortable about asking for advice whenever they need it. When children are in a situation where they cannot handle their emotions on their own and find out that there is no one there to support them, they begin to hold in and hide their emotions. Teachers and staff from early childhood learning centers know how to bring out children’s strengths and expand on them but this needs to be done at home as well.
How do you, as a parent, react when your child is angry? Do you also get angry and get strict with them? If you do, there is a large chance that your child thinks that you do not understand their feelings and will lose their trust in you.
It is best if parents try to empathize with their children and say things like “this is what you thought”, “you must have been frustrated”, “it is wrong to behave that way because of …. so what do you think you should do instead”. It is important that parents listen to their children and encourage them to express their feelings and emotions. This will help children learn that things don’t always happen the way they want them to and that they need to learn how to make the best of all situations. When children feel secure they have more room in their heart and are better able to control their feelings and emotions. The close relationship children have with their parents will help them grow and develop and learn how to control their feelings and emotions.
It often takes a while for children to learn how to control their emotions on their own. When they can hold it in when they don’t get their way, when they give their favorite toy to their friend who is crying and other times they are able to control their emotions, it is important for parents to go ahead and praise their children.
Until now they were unable to express their emotions correctly. In this article we introduced some ways to help children learn how to express themselves from a young age.


A giant frill looming over its head, a sharp beak, and a horny face: the Chasmosaurus must have been an awesome sight. Its name means “Chasm Lizard” because of the two large holes that take up most of its frill.
Fun Facts –
Chasmosaurus was a ceratopsian, which means it had a beak, horns, and a frill, similar to a Triceratops.
- It lived in Canada during the Late Cretaceous, 76.5 to 75.5 million years ago.
- The Chasmosaurus grew 16 feet long from beak to tail and was an herbivore.
- It had three horns on its head—two smaller ones above its eyes and a larger one on its snout.
- Scientists wonder what the frill was for. It might have been for defense, although the two holes in it, known as fenestrae would have made it pretty fragile. It might have been used to help the animal regulate its body heat, similar to how the large ears of an elephant cool it on a hot day. Or it might have served some purpose in communication—finding a mate or scaring off the competition.
- Chasmosaurus skin impressions have been found and they’re similar to a Triceratop’s skin, rough, pebbly scales.
- A baby Chasmosaurus dinosaur skeleton was discovered a few years ago. It was 5 feet long.
Visit Jurassic World Evolution to learn more about Chasmosaurus.
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Declan, Tobin. " Fun Chasmosaurus Dinosaur Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 29 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/chasmosaurus/ >.
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Tobin, Declan. (2020). Fun Chasmosaurus Dinosaur Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/chasmosaurus/
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Bowling and beer made Milwaukee famous. But so, too, did the books, dolls quilts and other handmade items created by thousands of women during the Great Depression. As someone who sews, it’s a story near to my heart.
The Milwaukee Handicraft Project was one of the many projects created by the Works Progress Administration to provide work for millions of Americans in the 1930s. Unlike other WPA programs, though, the Milwaukee program was unique in putting women to work, while many other early projects were geared toward men.
Elsa Ulbricht from the Milwaukee State Teachers College came up with the idea for the Milwaukee Handicraft Project. She envisioned a work relief program for women who needed to support their families that would create artistic items for public institutions at cost while also providing employment for graduates of her college that couldn’t find teaching jobs.
Ulbricht selected art education student Mary Jane Kellogg and Anne Feldman to serve as art director and general supervisor respectively.
Kellogg identified product needs for schools and hospitals in cooperation with state and local governments. The project first started compiling scrapbooks of articles and puzzles to entertain hospital patients. Workers also bound and repaired books for schools.
Eventually, 11 different units were created for bookbinding, block printing, screen printing, weaving, rugs, applique, dolls, toys, costumes, wood toys and furniture. New units were added as staff developed new products that would improve the lives of children and families.
A state order for coverlets for all WPA nurseries in Wisconsin created work for 75 women. Those workers who became competent in their craft were encouraged to find employment in other WPA projects, like the sewing project which paid higher wages.
More than 200 women reported to work on Nov. 5, 1935. Two weeks later, 700 women were employed. Unlike most other workplaces at the time, the Handicraft Project was racially integrated, employing a large number of African-American women. The project employed only women at first, but when it expanded to include furniture, men were also hired.
Orders for products came from every state and the project gained national attention for its use of unskilled labor to produce handmade products in an integrated workplace. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt even paid the project a visit in 1936, writing about her experiences in her newspaper column, “My Day:.”
“I have just come back from one of the most interesting mornings I have ever spent. Milwaukee has a handicraft project for unskilled women which gives one a perfect thrill. They are doing artistic work under most able teachers,” Roosevelt wrote.
Federal support for the project ended in 1942, but Milwaukee County continued it for a time as a rehab program for older and disabled workers.


Early Literacy Instruction Providing a solid foundation for literacy is critical for young children who are already bilingual or are learning a second language. These resources provide guidance on how to build that foundation as well as guidance on using a child's native language as part of their literacy development. Reading Instruction in Grades English language learners ELLs in early elementary school are learning to read at the same time as their other classmates.
Packaged with… Description Note: This is the bound book only and does not include access to the Enhanced Pearson eText. This book is the ideal source for teaching oral language, reading, writing, and the content areas in English to K English learners. In an approach unlike most other books in the field, Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL looks at contemporary language acquisition theory as it relates to instruction and provides detailed suggestions and methods for motivating, involving, and teaching English language learners.
Praised for its strong research base, engaging style, and inclusion of specific teaching ideas, the book offers thorough coverage of oral language, reading, writing, and academic content area instruction in English for K English learners. Thoroughly updated throughout, the new edition includes a new chapter on using the Internet and other digital technologies to engage students and promote learning, many new teaching strategies, new and revised activities, and new writing samples.
The Enhanced Pearson eText features embedded videos and assessments. The Enhanced Pearson eText is: The new interactive, multimedia learning features were developed by the authors and other subject-matter experts to deepen and enrich the learning experience.
They are not available in third-party eTexts or downloads. It requires Android OS 3.Help with Opening PDF Files. Help your students children classify ideas and communicate more effectively.
Use graphic organizers to structure writing projects, to help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research and brainstorming. Welcome to the TESOL Resource Center! Need a lesson plan? An activity? How about ideas for what to do in class tomorrow morning? Well, you've come to the right place.
Receive free lesson plans, printables, and worksheets by email: Your Email Address. Welcome to urbanagricultureinitiative.com For over a decade, TeAchnology has been providing free and easy to use resources for teachers dedicated to improving the education of today's generation of students.
Help with Opening PDF Files. Help your students children classify ideas and communicate more effectively. Use graphic organizers to structure writing projects, to help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research and brainstorming. Exciting lesson ideas, classroom strategies, teaching tips, book lists, videos, and reproducibles in a daily blog by teachers from the classrooms of extraordinary mentor.
Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for Teaching K English · Paperback out of 5 stars - Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for Teaching K English.


What is worship? From sharing with others to reading the Bible, show kids three to six that singing is not the only way to worship God With eye-catching illustrations and unforgettable rhymes, What is Worship? is a full-color picture book that expands kids understanding of what it means to praise and honor God daily through acts of kindness, prayer, and more. Using Scriptures, a bouncing beat, and captivating pictures, What is the Bible? covers 14 key truths about worship. Features a dedication page and eye-catching illustrations by Chad Thompson (Disney's Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear.)
- Being Kind
- Doing Good Things
Capture short attention spans with fun, relatable, full-color illustrations Featuring diverse and inclusive illustrations celebrating every background and ability, What is Worship? is perfect for the classroom, homeschool, or as a gift It features:
- 14 popular Scriptures about worship to introduce kids to God's Word at an early age
- Fun rhyming verses to capture their attention
- Age-appropriate vocabulary for easy reading
- Dozens of fun & colorful illustrations
- Dedication Page
Whether you want to inspire your kids to know God deeper or you're looking for a fun and memorable way to answer their questions about praising the Lord, What is Worship? is the perfect read-along book for bedtime, snack time, to start a lesson, and to give as as gift (baptisms, birthdays, and more).
Precious Blessings series invites young children to dive deeper into the heart of God. Each book provides a clear, precise, and true answer to a common question kids ask about different aspects of the Christian life. Topics include:
- Who Is God?
- What Is Prayer?
- What Is Worship?
- What Is the Bible?
- What Is Church?
These books are helpful guides in answering difficult questions that children may have as well as in bringing clarity to their relationship with God. With rhyming text, captivating illustrations, and a connecting Bible verse on each spread, children will be empowered to walk with Jesus whole-heartedly... one step at a time
Valerie Carpenter, author of the Precious Blessings series, is involved with worship at her church in La Mirada, California. She is married and has two daughters. She has a BA in elementary education. She is passionate about bringing to life the truths of God to children. Valerie currently resides in La Habra, CA.
Chad Thompson, illustrator of the Precious Blessings series, is a celebrated illustrator, designer, and Disney animator. As a young boy, Chad's grandfather sat him down at the kitchen table and taught him how to draw cartoons. His love of drawing led him to the Columbus College of Art and Design. Upon graduation, he was hired by the Walt Disney Feature Animation studio in Florida, where he worked on beloved classics such as Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear. Chad currently works as an illustrator and designer for a wide variety of clients and continues to work in animation for smaller studios in Orlando. When he is not at the drawing board, Chad enjoys spending time with his wife and kids.


The Good and the Beautiful website offers a great Language Arts curriculum, and Levels 1 thru 5 are currently available as free PDF downloads from their website.
Here’s what they say on the site about this course on their site:
Connects learning to the good and the beautiful: family, God, high moral character, wholesome literature, and the wonders and beauty of nature and human life
Requires no daily prep time—just open the book and follow the instructions, learning and exploring along with your child.
Combines multiple subjects, connecting learning, adding meaning, shortening school time, making learning more enjoyable, and eliminating the need for 6 to 7 different courses. Reading, writing, literature, spelling, grammar & punctuation, vocabulary, geography, and art are all in one course.
Emphasizes literature of the highest literary and moral merit.
Full phonics reading program creates excellent readers. Phonics instruction is included through Level 3.
Strong writing program creates excellent writers!
Thorough and advanced courses leave no gaps! There is no need to supplement.
There are lots of resources on the site (both downloadable and printed) that are available for purchase, but again, Levels 1 – 5 of the Language Arts course are free downloads in PDF format. You will need to go through their checkout to get them.
CLICK HERE to go to the website!