Create successful practice, explore a composer's historical lifestyle, learn about modern composers, experience local performances - Musical Notes will enhance your music education and capture your imagination. Be Inspired!
Originally Posted on Kindermusik's Blog.
One of Kindermusik’s core promises is to help make great parenting a little bit easier. Without a doubt, music is one vital tool that parents can use not just for fun and bonding, but as way to make the daily routines go more smoothly with less tears and more joy.
Wake up with music
Singing your child’s favorite song can chase away the morning grumpies and coax that first smile of cooperation. Try this free “Get up and Move” activity from Kindermusik @Home to get your morning off to a great start together.
Play some recorded music as you are getting your child ready for the day – quiet and soothing or happy and energetic – whatever your child responds best to. With your Kindermusik music downloads and ever-expanding library, it’s easy to create playlists of favorite music to suit any mood.
Go places with music
Sing together in the car. No one else will hear, and your child will love having the chance to make music together with you.
Utilize Kindermusik’s radio app or stream your class music so that you can have fun music with you wherever you go.
Take naps with music
There’s nothing more soothing than a playlist or CD of gentle lullaby sleepy-time music. Or even just cuddling and singing a sweet quiet song before tucking your child in for a nap will make naptime that much easier. Making music a part of the naptime routine will send your child off into the land of nod quicker than almost anything else.
Transition with music
Many children have difficulty transitioning from one thing to the next – they want to keep playing when it’s time to leave to pick up big sister from school. Or they’re not quite ready to sit in the high chair for lunch. You name it – there’s probably a way to turn that difficulty into something fun. It’s easy to “piggyback” a song, replacing the words with words you make up.
Or how about that time in the day when everyone is hungry and supper isn’t ready yet? Turn on a favorite recording and make an impromptu band using wooden spoons and plastic bowls (keeping safety and age-appropriateness in mind, of course!).
Splish splash with music Yes, even tub time is more fun with some lively music playing in the background. Your child may not be singing in the shower just yet, but the two of you can have lots of fun making bathtime a highlight of the day singing and listening to music in between all of the bubbles.
Music is one of the very best activities for kids at home and on the go! And we promise, music can make the moments of your day easier and happier. Need some musical inspiration and resources? Try a Kindermusik class – free previews available!
- Written by Theresa Case who has an award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC
Jessica's Piano Studio
Teacher at Jessica's Piano Studio to many talented students! Here's some helpful tips and interesting information to create a wonderfully educational musical experience!


The brain's executive function is a kind of internal "air traffic control system" that is a group of skills that helps us to focus on multiple streams of information at the same time, monitor errors, make decisions in light of available information, revise plans as necessary and resist the urge to let frustration lead to hasty actions. The development of solid executive function is one of the key learning tasks of early childhood, and a significant contributor to later success in life.
In his recent webinar on the topic, Scientific Learning Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder Dr. William Jenkins dug deep into the three interrelated skills which comprise this air traffic control system: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive/mental flexibility. These three skills help us keep information in mind, master our impulses, and remain flexible in the face of change—and are crucial building blocks for the development of both cognitive and social interaction skills in young children.
Dr. Jenkins outlined a number of reasons that parent should take an interest in helping their children develop sound executive function skills in early childhood:
1. Strong executive function skills provide the best possible foundation for school readiness.
In many ways, executive function skills could be called the "biological foundation" for school readiness. It has been shown that children with strong working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive/mental flexibility skills make greater gains in academic areas than peers with weaker executive function skills. Coming to school with these foundational skills well-developed is just as important, if not more important, than fluency with letters and numbers.
2. Executive function skills begin at home.
Executive function skills are not automatic. These skills are built over time through practice, and can be observed in infants as early as six months, when some infants can understand and obey a simple directive such as "don't touch that plate." Parents can support (or "scaffold") the development of these skills from early childhood by teaching and reinforcing common concepts such as taking turns and using "inside" and "outside" voices. In addition to the home, executive function skills continue to be developed in childcare programs, pre-schools, elementary school classrooms, and other social settings, into adolescence.
As Dr. Jenkins notes in the webinar, elementary school teachers are keenly aware of the importance of executive function. Parents who are actively, consciously participating in the development of their child’s executive function skills will have a richer understanding of the importance of all activities and expectations revolving around classroom life, from the way one lines up for lunch to the way one studies for a spelling test. This has the potential for a dynamic, integrated educational experience for the student, teacher, and parents, working together to build a better brain for each child.
4. Executive function skills help lay the foundation for the kind of student, citizen, and social being a child will become.
Ultimately, the skills that cohere into executive function are the skills we use to navigate family, school, and work settings for our entire lives: retaining and using information, filtering thoughts and impulses, focusing on a task at hand, recognizing errors, changing plans, and understanding how different rules apply in different settings are all skills that require stewardship from birth to adulthood. Parents armed with this knowledge are more apt to take an active part in the development of these skills from an early age.
5. Understanding executive function gives parents a fuller understanding of a child who is struggling.
It is a mistake to immediately brand a child who struggles with things like inhibitory control as a "bad kid". Understanding the concepts behind executive function gives parents a fuller picture of what is happening with their child when he or she is having difficulty controlling impulses, focusing on a given task, or understanding that different rules may apply at different times. This will help parents decide if outside help may be needed to help their child (studies show there is at least short-term effectiveness in interventions that support executive function development).
Interested in learning more? Listen to Dr. Jenkins’ webinar herefor more in-depth information on all aspects of executive function and its importance in early childhood development and brain fitness.


Put on your comfortable slippers and curl up with a good book, or two or ten! Using quality literature and creative art activities, encourage your students’ literacy development… from developing phonological awareness and letter knowledge to identifying rhyming words and early word recognition. The topics in this 2-hour seminar include:
— Strengthening listening & speaking skills
— Building vocabulary and word knowledge
— Understanding and identifying sounds and rhyming words
— Developing letter knowledge
— Introducing conventions of print
— Writing for a variety of purposes
For more information about this educational seminar, contact Mariella Walker at Mariella.Walker@gmail.com or 703-231-0184.


Getting a music education can benefit you whether you decide to pursue a career within this field or elsewhere. This is especially true for children, as they have an increased aptitude for learning how to read, play and sing music. Music education also helps cultivate healthy attitude towards competition with one’s self and others, making the challenge of mastering new skills a positive, enjoyable way to build confidence.
1. Motor Skills:
The physical component of learning and practicing any instrument will help improve fine motor skills in addition to gaining new ones. The hand-eye coordination honed with properly handling and playing an instrument will also be an exceptional benefit to any person who pursues a tactile-based career later in life.
Regardless of the type of music education (instrumental, vocal, percussive), the dedication necessary to learn and improve upon their skills help these student develop a healthy sense of discipline. This discipline often transcends excellence in the music field; students of music regularly score higher on standardized tests, including the SAT and ACT.
3. Future Careers:
Students who have a particularly fulfilling experience with their music education often choose to pursue their given talents as a career. Even seemingly non-related fields such as the military, hospitality, marketing and media offer career paths with strong musical components.
4. Awards and Scholarships:
Participating in music education programs can help secure scholarships for college-level studies. These awards are offered by a variety of sources, including individual school departments, private organizations and music-oriented non-profits. Many music students often receive full scholarships based on their talents and dedication (see Resources).
5. Cultural Incentives:
Music education fosters an appreciation for the history of all forms of music, regardless of their origin. Many music education programs offer local field trips to concerts, museums and other related activities that expose students to a broad range of ways their education can be utilized for higher learning, performance and pleasure.


The sixth edition of the EFA Global Monitoring Report marks the midterm point in the international commitment to provide a quality education to all by 2015. It assesses progress towards expanding early childhood learning programmes, achieving free and universal primary education, realizing gender parity and gender equality in education, reducing adult illiteracy and improving education quality. It highlights innovative projects and strategies, and underscores the urgency of pushing forward with a common agenda for action.
The 2008 Report notes some real gains, especially in getting more children into primary school. Many governments have taken measures to reduce the cost of schooling and tackle obstacles to girls' education. But great challenges remain. There are not enough schools, teachers and learning materials. Poverty and disadvantage remain a major barrier for millions of children and youth. Policies exist that address both access and quality, but they require much bolder action, from the earliest age, to reach the most vulnerable groups and dramatically expand literacy programmes for youth and adults.
With statistical indicators on all levels of education in over 200 countries and territories as well as an in-depth analysis of international aid to education, it offers a valuable reference and working tool for policy makers and planners, education specialists, development experts, advocacy groups and those working in bilateral and multilateral agencies.
Also available in the Education on the Move series


Teacher support for English
Hamilton has a range of additional reference and advice materials for English.
New Curriculum English Support
Hamilton Grammar Structured Scheme of Work
Older Spelling and Grammar Materials
Grammar for Writing
Support for Spelling
Homework support documents
Hamilton Education sells hard copy teaching resources that support Hamilton plans at very low cost. Group Readers, phonics books, number lines and 'Five Minute Fillers' can help you teach literacy and numeracy skills in your classroom.
Hamilton's Reception English Plans cover all English EYFS objectives as well as selected objectives in all other areas of the Early Years Curriculum. The Medium Term Plan provides an overview of the two alternative years’ worth of plans (Set A & Set B) and English objectives covered in each. Individual plans contain an outcomes table and also list covered EYFS objectives across the curriculum. Every plan is filled with exciting writing opportunities!
Discuss families and the various roles within them, read the following stories My Mum, My Dad, Me and You, all of which are by Anthony Browne and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems. Children write a book about someone who cares for them using similes and also notices for family members. They learn their address too. Activities include paper people, house plans, family portraits and names.
Taking inspiration from stories about sea creatures and whale song, The Whales’ Song by Gary Blythe and Dylan Sheldon, Dolphin Boy by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman, Seal Surfer by Michael Foreman and The Dancing Tiger by Malachy Doyle, illustrated by Steve Johnson children describe their gift to the whales and write own version of Whales' Song. Children also measure a whale, bake Nemo biscuits, study floating and sinking, paint pebbles, and play crab football.
Children learn facts about sea creatures (especially whales and sharks) and the features of non-fiction texts, The Whales’ Song by Gary Blythe and Dylan Sheldon, Under the Sea by Katie Daynes and Colin King, and Sharks by Phil Clarke and Reuben Barrance. They work together to produce class books about sea creatures. Children also learn about endangered species, make salt paintings and move like a whale to music.
Children listen to poems about sea creatures, (Sea Animals by Meish Goldish, Fish by Arthur S Bourinot, Fishes Evening Song by Dahlov Ipcar, Shark by Helen H Moore) they write their own couplets for a class poem, learn a poem off by heart, and make a seascape covered with onomatopoeic words. Activities include baking a fishy fruity cake, a class sea painting, and shadow play.
Using fantasy stories about magical events and people, It’s a Secret! by John Burningham, Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul and The Magic Bed by John Burningham, children retell a story using role-play and freeze frames to sequence events, and write own versions of It's a Secret with a new problem and characters. Children plan a magical party, making decorations and party foods.
Entering the world of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, children write rules for a school of witchcraft and wizardry, make and write instructions for magic milk, ink and lemon fizz, and study potion recipes before writing their own recipe. Children also design a school crest and play J.K.Rowling's Quidditch
Explore the use of poetic language and rhyme to create their own poetry, read the children Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. Use phonic knowledge to generate rhyming words. Learn and recite a poem, performing it to an audience. Activities include potions in cauldrons, paper plate models and junk monsters.
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Primary school curriculum
St Joseph's primary campus students participate in nine (9) Key Learning Areas (subjects). These KLAs are Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Studies of Society and the Environment, Health and Physical Education, Science, Italian (our LOTE language), The Arts and Technology.
The aim of the KLA Religious Education is to develop the students' religious literacy in the light of the Catholic Tradition so that they may participate critically and effectively in the life of their faith communities and also the wider community.
Our school has implemented an Integrated approach to the education of our students in line with the syllabus documents developed by the Queensland Studies Authority. The students are also arranged in Stage groupings rather than traditional year level age groups. These stages see the students grouped in the following manner:
Early Stage One is made up of our Prep and Year One students. Late Stage One consists of our Years Two and Three students, Stage Two with Years Four and Five and Stage Three with our students from Years Six and Seven.
The flexibility offered by Integrating the Curriculum and arranging the students in Stage groups enables the school to match activities, techniques, contexts, concepts and content to the interests, needs and ability of each individual student. Another advantage to this model of class structure is the opportunity for students to develop friendship groups across year levels.
As with all that we do at St Joseph's, the needs of the individual student is of paramount importance. Through the mechanisms above (staging of classes and integration of curriculum) we are more effective in meeting the needs of each individual student in our school.
With the development of this stage based approach we have established teaching teams within each stage. Through this development we hope to achieve a more comprehensive curriculum that meets the needs of our students and also ease the stress of curriculum development on our teaching staff.
Integrated units of work in line with the syllabus documents developed by the Queensland Studies Authority. Our curriculum development reflects the change in emphasis towards Essential Learnings. To achieve these Essential Learnings in the most practicable and efficient manner, Integrated Units of work have been developed that include aspects of the KLAs Studies of Society and the Environment, Science, Health and Physical Education, Religious Education and English.
These units of work have been developed firstly from a whole school perspective and then further refined and developed within each stage level. The units are cyclic in nature and follow a two-year rotation. Although these units have been developed from a whole school perspective it is important to realize that the flexibility of the planning must be maintained by regular monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness and rigor of these units.
In late 2006 St. Joseph's was selected as one of fifty pilot schools for the Kidsmatter program being implemented nationally. Via this initiative we have focused on the development of social and emotional well being for our students and the development of continued support for our students and families in the area of mental health.
Our teaching staff is undertaking continued in-service and the development of curriculum with a focus on the support for the mental health and social and emotion al well-being of our students and their families. As such the school has purchased and implemented the 'You Can Do It!' program which is a forma-l approach to the teaching of social and emotional well-being intelligence and competency. These lessons are taught on a weekly basis in each class.
Parents are also supported in the development of these key competences (Resilience, Organisation, Confidence, Getting Along and Confidence) with information regarding parent workshops access to websites and physical resources to help their children with these skills.


Here's the latest article from the Special Needs Children site at BellaOnline.com.
Explaining Disabilities to Classmates
Understanding and explaining to other children what a having a developmental disability will mean for our children is a complicated challenge that may lead to unintended consequences for them as well as their classmates, who may be sensitive about our acceptance of their abilities and struggles.
Please visit specialneedschildren.bellaonline.com for even more great content about celebrating and supporting children with special needs and their families.
Find resources, links and news stories about disability issues at:
Teaching Home Addresses to Children
Severe Weather Events and Children
Medical ID Bracelets for Children
Managing Emergency Events and Drills at School
Peer Mentoring Programs and Childhood Disabilities http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art61295.asp
Creative Playtime for Babies and Children
Dolls for Children with Special Needs
Boardmaker and PECS Communication Systems
Preparing for Emergencies with Children
Community Emergency Response Training - CERT
Music Education - Every Voice Heard
Music Education and Music Therapy
Photography Lessons for Children
Reading Readiness and Reading Strategies
Reading and Literacy Skill Development
Establishing Advocacy Priorities
To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Special Needs Children located here -
I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!
Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!
Pamela Wilson, Special Needs Children Editor
Recent ReTweets and Tweets:
mamatude: Augmentative Communication Made Even Simpler
TheArcU: Would you like to see Zach Anner get his own TV show?
frank_buckley: Down syndrome conference in Dubai Feb 2/3 http://tinyurl.com/63qhzj7
StephenAtHome: Tuesday is 1/11/11.
Computers, this is not a sign that itís time to rise against us!
The Bully, Bullied, Bystander- Preschool thru HS:
How Parents, Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle
Trauma & Traumatic Grief in Children
Also, Surviving a Borderline Parent: Building Trust,
The Child With Special Needs: Encouraging Intellectual
and Emotional Growth by Stanley I. Greenspan
Someone Special Just Like Me http://tinyurl.com/Sm1SpJLMe
Children's books celebrating differences
jmedlen: Quality lives begin with quality health.
Quality health begins with a vision. Create yours.
Ministry Helps Churches Reach Out http://www.danieljvance.com/disabledweek446a.html
Friendship Ministries for Adults w/ DD
mdbeau: Special Needs Cheerleaders Get Standing Ovation
DSGOzarks: Small Group/Play Group Kick Off on Jan 17.
MollyWhite: Enjoying the Small Things
Iz's friend & classmate has Down syndrome, her mom
brought this page to my attention
3estevie: Good Morning everyone! I hope you like the
new changes to the website and the wildly low prices
that are available Wheelchair Heart 3eLove
EDFood: Behind at Age 3: Why Preschool Needs to Be a National Focus
EDFood: DrNICHCY is now EDFood!


The central question in this volume is how to create a society of "engaged readers" in today's world, where reading is increasingly overruled by other media, such as television and personal computers. Engaged readers,
as the term is used in this book, means readers who are socially interactive, strategic, and motivated.
This state-of-the-art review contains research on integrating cognitive, social, and motivational aspects of reading and reading instruction, the chapter authors argue that coming to grips with the notion of engagement in literacy requires redefining literacy itself to acknowledge the degree to which it is not only a cognitive accomplishment, but a social activity and an affective commitment as well. Promoting literacy acquisition thus requires interventions that address attitudes and beliefs as much as those that assure cognitive changes in learners.
Equally important, the authors posit that literacy engagement involves the integration of cognitive strategies and motivational goals during literate activities. This necessary link between literacy and motivation is addressed from a variety of perspectives.
Acknowledging the value of cross-national and cross-cultural comparisons, the book features chapters on the promotion of literacy in different regions around the world.
|Publisher:||Taylor & Francis|
|Edition description:||New Edition|
|Product dimensions:||6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)|
Table of Contents
Contents: L. Verhoeven, C.E. Snow, IntroductionLiteracy and Motivation: Bridging Cognitive and Sociocultural Viewpoints. Part I:The Social and Affective Context of Literacy Development. D. Barton, Literacy in Everyday Contexts. A.G. Bus, Paretn-Child Book Reading Through the Lens of Attachment Theory. J.M. De Temple, C.E. Snow, Conversations About Literacy: Social Mediation of Psycholinguistic Activity. P.P.M. Leseman, P.F. de Jong, How Important Is Home Literacy for Acquiring Literacy in School? T.H.A. van der Voort, Television's Impact on Children's Leisure Time Reading and Reading Skills. Part II:Prevention and Instruction Programs That Promote Literacy Engagement. L. Verhoeven, Prevention of Reading Difficulties. M.C. McKenna, Development of Reading Attitudes. J.T. Guthrie, K.T. Knowles, Promoting Reading Motivation. J.A. Langer, Literature as an Environment for Engaged Readers. D. Reinking, Multimedia and Engaged Reading in a Digital World. Part III:Policy Perspectives on Promoting Literacy Engagement. W.B. Elley, Literacy in the Present World: Realities and Possibilities. R. Serpell, Cultural Dimensions of Literacy Promotion and Schooling. R-M. Weber, Historical Perspectives on Promoting Reading: The Early Soviet Effort. B.V. Street, Literacy Empowerment in Developing Societies. D.A. Wagner, Conceptual Dichotomies and the Future of Literacy Work Across Cultures.


Evaluation of school-based arts education programmes in Australian schoolsPolicy Analysis and Program Evaluation
SubjectsArt education, Evaluation
AbstractThis report presents evaluations of four Australian school-based arts programmes: Arts@Direk (SA), Boys’ Business (NT), Indigenous Music Education Programme (NT), and SCRAYP – Youth Arts with an Edge (Vic). Arts@Direk and SCRAYP provided a focus on drama, while Boys’ Business and Indigenous Music Education Programme (IMEP) concentrated on music. There was a range of ages from Year 4 to Year 10 and a diverse range of backgrounds amongst the participating students. The study investigated the impact of each arts programme on students’ academic progress, engagement with learning and school attendance. It also considered which attributes of arts programmes were of particular benefit to the students.
Citation InformationBryce, J., Mendelovits, J., Beavis, A., McQueen, J., & Adams, I. (2004). Evaluation of school-based arts education programmes in Australian schools. Australian Council for Educational Research, Camberwell, Vic.


Music Program - Indian and Western
We wish to establish a thriving musical culture in school. A wealth of scientific research over the last decade is proving that music education is a powerful tool for attaining children’s full intellectual, social a creative potential.
Music gives children a means to express themselves to unleash their creativity, and to be expired by their own boundless capacity for personal growth.
Music is compulsory for the first seven years of a pupil’s life in the school from 3+ (Pre-School) to 11 + (Class V). In the critically important years between 3+ and 5+ children are exposed to music everyday. This programme is not confined to the more common set of songs or nursery rhymes sung in the traditional fashion.
Between the ages 11+ and 13+ pupils are offered Music as one of the options. Those choosing to pursue Music at this stage master ragas, talas and are knowledgeable about our musicians of today, a brief history of Hindustani and Carnatak styles. The also build up a good collection of different types of songs.
For those opting for Music at the advanced stage of Class IX and X under the 10+2 system, the emphasis is on the theory of Music. The standard that they attain is that of diploma from reputed Music Academies.
At the informal level among other things, is the morning assembly that consists of :
*a community shloka
The ‘stuti’ may be in Sanskrit or Hindi and is invariably sung (rather than recited) by a special trained choir.
The songs may be a bhajan, a searonal song, a patriotic song, a folk song, an inspiring song expressing a beautiful thought or a philosophy, Rabindra sangeet, etc. Songs may be in Hindi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujrati, Assamese, Pahari, Marathi, Rajasthani, Malyalam, Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit etc.
The community Shloka with which we end the assembly is usually a thought expressed in four lines, sung by the entire school as one and rendered in simple music.
Rather the young ones are trained to differentiate simple notations (alankar), rhythm (laya), and bears (tala). Our per-school orchestra of four-and-five-years old include eight simple instruments such as dholak tambourine, triangle, jhunjhuna kartal, cymbals dandia and the most ancient of rhythm ‘instrument’ clapping.


Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier (1887-1967) circa 1937. Photo by Fred Stein Archive/Archive Photos Collection/Getty Images (cropped)
Name at Birth:
Born Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, Le Corbusier adopted his mother's maiden name in 1922 when he set up a partnership with his cousin, engineer Pierre Jeanneret.
- Art education, La Chaux de Fonds
- Studied modern building construction with Auguste Perret in Paris
- Worked with Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann
Famous Buildings Designed by Le Corbusier:
- 1927-1928: Palace for the League of Nations, Geneva
- 1931-1932: Swiss Building, Cité Universitaire, Paris
Other Important Works:
- 1922: Ozenfant House and Studio, Paris
- 1953-1957: Museum at Ahmedabad, India
- 1950-1963: High Court Buildings, Chandigarh, India
- 1950-1955: Notre-Dame-du-Haut, Ronchamp, France
- 1954-1956: Maisons Jaoul, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris
- 1957-1960: Convent of La Tourette, Lyon France
- 1958: Philips Pavilion, Brussels
- 1961-1964: Carpenter Center, Cambridge, MA
- 1963-1967: Centre Le Corbusier, Zürich, Switzerland
In his 1923 book Vers une architecture, Le Corbusier described "5 points of architecture" that became the guiding principles for many of his designs, most especially Villa Savoye (view image).
- Freestanding support pillars
- Open floor plan independent from the supports
- Vertical facade that is free from the supports
- Long horizontal sliding windows
- Roof gardens
An innovative urban planner, Corbusier anticipated the role of the automobile and envisioned cities with big apartment buildings in park-like settings.
- "The house is a machine for living in." (Vers une architecture, 1923)
- "By law, all buildings should be white."
About Le Corbusier:
During his long life, Le Corbusier designed buildings in Europe, India, and Russia. Le Corbusier also designed one building in the United States and one in South America.
The earlier buildings by Le Corbusier were smooth, white concrete and glass structures elevated above the ground. He called these works "pure prisms." In the late 1940s, Le Corbusier turned to a style known as "New Brutalism, " which used rough, heavy forms of stone, concrete, stucco, and glass.


Product Support Video
Developing the skills for success.
The EARLY YEARS are a period of significant potential learning. It is essential that balanced within an early childhood framework key skills (for later literacy and learning) are developed. The explicit instruction of phonological awareness, alphabet sounds and oral language is imperative. Within this course ‘age appropriate’ ( i.e. fun, engaging but rich and clear) learning experiences will be demonstrated (with PLD programs and also with general resources.
How much explicit instruction is required? Three or four three minute explicit instruction sessions each day, in addition to short one minute progress checks.
PLD supports play, socialisation, inquiry, activities, child centred approaches and some direct development of key skills that set up young children for success within the education system.
The short course is comprised of 4 installments:
Installment 1: A start to the year with oral language & phonological awareness
- Explore theoretical themes from ‘meta-analysis’ reviews on how to prepare children for literacy.
- Explore the need to balance ‘early childhood’ with some explicit teaching of key pre-literacy skills.
- Cover the impact of oral language on pre-literacy, early literacy and later literacy development.
- Outline how to start the year with oral language activities and phonological awareness.
- Presentation of simple time efficient processes to track skill acquisition.
Installment 2: Establishing the beginnings of phonemic awareness
- Explore further theoretical themes from ‘meta-analysis’ reviews on how to prepare children for literacy.
- Clarification of the difference between phonological awareness and phonemic awareness.
- Provide multiple demonstrations on to explicitly instruction of initial sound awareness (a precursor to the alphabet).
- Provide tips for working with children with speech, language and attention difficulties, while continuing to extend vocabulary and initial sound awareness.
- Presentation of the next tool for checking on progress.
Installment 3: Teaching the alphabet in a manner that will support early readers
- Introduce the basic principles of synthetic phonics, which underlies the PLD approach to teaching the alphabet.
- Demonstrations on how to explicitly teach the alphabet using PLD’s ‘Alphabet and early phonics, the multi-sensory way’ or a set of generic alphabet cards.
- Present the next tool for checking on progress.
- Guidelines for alphabet for reading and spelling.
- Tips for when children are slow to acquire the alphabet.
- Presentation of two screening tools track the rate of alphabet acquisition.
Installment 4: The beginnings of blending and establishing a full year plan
- Explanation of how It takes time to develop strong, consistent and independent alphabet skills.
- Recommend that blending is introduced while continuing to develop alphabet skills.
- Further explanations of synthetic phonics.
- Demonstrations on how to explicitly introduce blending.
- The presentation of two screening tools track the rate of blending skill acquisition.
- Tips – when children are experiencing difficulty with blending.
- Investigate how to create a schedule over a year to sequence the primary pre-literacy skills
MULTI USER DISCOUNTS NOW AVAILABLE
If you purchase more than one online course licence at one time you now receive a scaled discount.
2 to 5 User Licences – 10% discount per licence
6 to 10 User Licences – 15% discount per licence
11 to 20 User Licences – 25% discount per licence
21 to 50 User Licences – 35% discount per licence
51 to 100 User Licences – 50% discount per licence
100 + User Licences – please send an enquiry to [email protected] for a quote specific to your needs.
NOTE: Upon purchasing this course, you will receive an e-mail with further details on how to access the course. You will have 3 months to register for the course, and once registered, you will have full access to the course for 90 days.
If you have any questions about this online course or anything else to do with PLD, please take a look at our FAQ here.
Related Blog Posts
Stay up to date with the latest news, discussions
and views from the PLD Literacy team.


Unfortunately, the public school system often denies and delays any identification or treatment for dyslexic students. In this post, we will explore the reasons why dyslexia intervention traditionally doesn’t exist in school. Although it is important to advocate for your child’s rights in school, we urge you to get your child intervention outside of the school to prevent them from falling further behind.
1 – Teachers often aren’t taught to recognize dyslexia symptoms.
Many good teachers fail to recognize dyslexia symptoms in their students. Teacher education programs (especially in elementary education) do not prepare teachers to recognize dyslexia, let alone to teach students with dyslexia. The challenge begins with elementary teachers who, charged with recognizing and acting on early symptoms, become gatekeepers of the initial diagnosis. As a result, many children with dyslexia go undetected until they fall further and further behind in later grades. Without identification, actions are not made to create dyslexia intervention programs.
2 – Lack of funding and resources makes it difficult to provide dyslexia-specific testing and intervention.
Public schools are already working on tight budgets. It seems that every year there are budget cuts and tough decisions to be made on allocating funds. Not only are public schools lacking funding but they are often lacking time and teachers as well. Providing dyslexia-specific testing requires expensive tests, and hiring or training of an evaluator. Beyond testing, dyslexia intervention requires the time of a specialist, again, a costly endeavor. Current learning disability testing in schools does not test for dyslexia and the reading intervention programs in place are unsuccessful for a child with dyslexia. However, this is what the school has and any changes require resources that many schools don’t have.
3- The Structured Literacy method isn’t conducive for group settings.
The word “school” implies a group. Sometimes being part of a group facilitates learning and sometimes it doesn’t. Dyslexic children don’t have the luxury of time. They need to attain functional reading and spelling as fast as possible. The longer that is delayed the farther behind they fall academically.
Teaching reading and spelling skills to a group of dyslexic students is a bit like teaching a group piano lesson. Some students may master the practice piece in a week. Others may take four weeks. If the piano teacher paces instruction for the more advanced students in the group the less advanced students won’t be ready for the recital. If the instruction is designed and paced for the less advanced students the more advanced students will be bored and will lose interest.
In structured literacy therapy, it is essential that the child master each level before moving on the next level. If mastery and fluency aren’t achieved at each level the child will keep tripping on words. Regardless of what structured literacy method is used it is virtually impossible to have all the children in any group ready to move from level to level at the same time. Someone will always be way ahead and someone will always be way behind. One-on-one, individualized intervention is almost never an option in the public school system, but it is necessary for a dyslexic student.
Research indicates that early intervention is key to your child’s success. If your child isn’t getting the help they need in school or the services they are getting aren’t yielding the results you would expect, please consider outside help. Lexercise guarantees to improve your child’s reading by one grade level in two months of therapy or your third month is on us!
Marie is the Lexercise Operations Manager. She herself struggled with reading, writing and spelling as a child and knows the frustrations of finding and receiving language therapy. She has since overcome her childhood struggles and recently graduated Cum Laude from Elon University with a BS/BA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Marie is particularly enjoys blending her personal experience with her educational background at Lexercise. She is enthusiastic about helping families find convenient, personalized and effective language therapy.


Reading Comprehension Passages These reading comprehension passages are summer themed but can be used any time of the year. The nonfiction passages are a fun and easy way to get students settled at the beginning of class! They can also be used for homew
Games for the classroom: FREE Read and retell game. Love this idea to pass the dice around the room and have 6 students roll and retell. or I could roll as the teacher and choose students to retell. This would also work great for small reading groups.
ELA & Reading Comprehension Strategies Posters, Graphic Organizers & Activities
These would be great to ask as a comprehension activity. I would ask the student the question (maybe I would randomly flip through and choose one) and they would answer aloud so I know that they are understanding the material.
Reading Response Sheets for Any Book (30 Graphic Organizers)
FREE Reading comprehension story wands How I organise my guided reading tub for reading groups classroom organisation free printables literacy groups questioning teach students to ask questions while reading
Making Your Thinking Visible With Graphic Organizers


The director of a local music school offers tips on how to help kids balance piano practice with their homework by carving out specific times for both after school and then sticking with it.
Question: My child is an incredibly talented pianist who takes lessons and practices regularly, and her music has developed into a passion I want to encourage. However, lately I feel her time spent on this is interfering with her regular schoolwork. How can I help her manage her time so she can give proper attention to both?
Answer: It's very important for a parent to encourage their child to practice, even when they’re already talented at the instrument. But time management is also important, and schoolwork always comes first.
The parent should make a consistent time for the child to practice after school so they don’t forget and so they can also schedule time to do homework. For a younger child, the parent might want to divide the practicing time into two sessions because it’s harder for younger kids to stay focused for a long time. When you have a set time, it’s a commitment kids can understand. Learning piano is for fun, but it’s also a responsibility, like their schoolwork.
It’s also important for kids to take a day off from practicing. There are seven days in a week, and they should be able to relax and take time off from practicing for at least one day. That’s a good time to catch up on schoolwork.
Ivy Chen is music director at Vienna Music, a music school in Bayside, Queens that offers instruction for all ages. Chen has more than 10 years of professional teaching experience and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in music education. As an active solo and chamber musician, Chen’s New York appearances include concerts at Carnegie Weill Hall, Paul Hall, Steinway Hall, Flushing Town Hall, and the Church of the Holy Trinity.


The most phase of one’s education is the elementary education refers to the first phase of compulsory education. All children must undergo this stage of education during the initial years of starting school. This type of education is required to achieve goals that meet the needs of children. This period of education comes with specific goals. The period of completing this primary education ranges from one place to another. In some countries the period of elementary of primary education goes for about six to seven years, while in a country like India, it is only for five years. There are many places where parents decide to home school their children rather than sending them to an actual school.
In any scenario, the importance of schooling cannot be underestimated. In fact, everywhere parents and teachers make the efforts to ensure that this primary education is universally recognized. When it comes to the importance of elementary education, parents always must consider the top school in Gurgaon. Education is to be considered as the most crucial asset for our society. Based on knowledge an individual can grow up to be all that they are capable of and reach their true potential. Thus, reputed day boarding schools in Gurgaon can bring the perfect first stride that a person needs to take in life.
It is impossible to teach a child how to run before they can learn how to walk. So, these basic steps are crucial in building a character and strong thinking abilities from a young age.


Chess is a game played by everyone including kids, adults, the elderly, men, and women. There is no age barrier or physical strength required to play the game of chess. There are numerous individuals who have written about the advantages and disadvantages of playing chess. Some individuals tend to think that chess improves analytical thinking or aptitude where others think it is just a waste of time and that people who don’t have social life play chess.
In this article I am going to discuss why parents should teach their kids to play chess based on different surveys and research carried out across the world. Several researchers have studied the importance of chess since early 1950’s till date globally. Below, I discuss some of the important studies that were conducted to validate the significance of chess in thinking,and analyzing skills, and intellectual development.
A four-year study conducted in early 1980’s in Pennsylvania, USA showed that chess-playing group, time and again surpassed the control group. A survey carried out by New Jersey State Department of Education in 1990’s, found that chess advances self-esteem after a year of exposure. In a study carried out in New York City school, results showed that chess playing improved reading performance of students. In an another study carried out in New Brunswick, Canada, using fifth grade students divided into three groups, testing with the inclusion of chess to the math syllabus, showed increased gains in math problem-solving. in proportion to time spent playing chess
In a study carried out Dr. Albert Frank in Zaire (Africa), which involved 92 students from an age of 16-18, showed that the chess-playing children group showed significant (based on statistical analysis) development in numerical, spatial, and administrative-directional abilities compared to control group (non-chess playing). The chess playing group also showed high verbal aptitudes compared to the control group. The enhancements were true in spite of the absolute chess skill level achieved.
A study conducted by Dr. Yee Wang Fung (Chinese University) in Hong Kong showed that kids who played chess had 15% improvement in their test scores for math and science.
In a comparative study carried out by Dr. Adriaan de Groot in Belgium with chess playing fifth grade students to the non playing control group, results showed that the chess playing group had significant cognitive advancement in comparison to the control.
Based on the research studies and survey from above it can be concluded that playing chess; i) improves thinking development, ii) enhances self-esteem and self-image, iii) improves reading performance, iv) improves math problem solving, v) boosts logical and analytical thinking, and vi) accelerates IQ in school going children
Researchers have tried to find out what are the reasons that cause the above mentioned development and enhancement in children. I will discuss the same in my next article.
You can click on the links below to learn the basics of chess, learn advanced strategies, watch videos, and find an exclusive collection of books, games, and chess sets.


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How Many? - An Interactive Reading Book About Numbers
How Many? Is and interactive reading book about numbers.
How Many? Is an interactive reading book designed to be used on many levels. Pre-reading skills include matching, matching unlike pictures, picture identification and picture labeling and further reading activities based around numbers. Pre-schoolers, kindergartners, early elementary, general and special education children can all participate in the joy of learning reading and numeracy skills.
NB: The library resources are available for ADSA library members to borrow. Unfortunately we do not sell direct to the general public.
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Stern Maths Kit 3
Uses multi-sensory materials in a structured method to teach mathematical concepts. Requires $50 bond and can be borrowed for 1 term/10 weeks.
Numicon with home work bag
Numicon is a programme based on the pattern of numbers employing a multi-sensory and structured approach. A Maths bag is also included for homework activities to support learning at home. Requires $50 bond and can be borrowed for 1 term/10 weeks.
Wooden Shape Puzzle
Basic four shapes wooden puzzle
Addition Pack 1, 2 and 3
1 set for the child and 1 set for the teacher. Suitable activity with siblings/classmates.
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“Who Is Afraid of Math? Two Sources of Genetic Variance for Math Anxiety”
Mathematics anxiety can be explained, at least in part, by genetic factors, says a recent study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Researchers followed 216 identical twins and 298 same-sex fraternal twins over about a seven-year period, starting when they were in kindergarten or 1st grade. The 11 authors measured students' math anxiety, general anxiety, math problem-solving skills, and reading comprehension through a battery of assessments.
They found that genetic factors related to general anxiety and math cognition accounted for 40 percent of the variance in math anxiety among students. The other 60 percent was explained by environmental factors specific to the child. (Variance describes distance from a statistical mean.)
Vol. 33, Issue 28, Page 5


A Research-based Program
Music Together® is grounded in research in music and early childhood development. When creating the program, coauthors Kenneth K. Guilmartin and Dr. Lili M. Levinowitz, examined the field of music education—and then reached beyond it into the realm of early childhood learning. They realized that even the best song they could discover or compose would miss the mark if not presented in ways children can receive readily and process meaningfully.
So, the pair turned to the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and early childhood learning for valuable insights into how the brain processes and organizes musical material, how children learn, and how the surrounding environment can support this learning. Then they distilled their findings into four basic principles, which remain the cornerstones of Music Together's philosophy today.
Learn more about the research basis of Music Together and Ken and Lili's positions on early childhood music education in these formative articles:
Music Together as a Research-based Program by Susan Hoffman
Music Education in the new Millenium by Kenneth Guilmartin
The Importance of Music in Early Childhood by Lili Levinowitz
Please watch our videos and read some of our testimonials about classes.


- H87976 000000000 H87976000000000
Schott Music For Children Volume 3: Upper Elementary by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman
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Carl Orff devoted much of his life to music for children. His pioneering work continues under the guidance of teachers and educators in many countrie...Click To Read More About This Product
6-Month* financing available.
A primer for upper elementary school teachers to share the Orff-Schulwerk method of music education.
Carl Orff devoted much of his life to music for children. His pioneering work continues under the guidance of teachers and educators in many countries. The five basic German volumes of Music for Children by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman were published between 1950 and 1954. The considerable growth of Orff-Schulwerk in the United States led to the publication of the American Edition (1977) to satisfy the requirements of a different educational system and national heritage. Music for Children is a stimulating source of material for music teaching. The American Edition assembles works by all the leading contributors to the Orff movement. In this third volume, the techniques of "knowing" and "doing" are used to teach music through rhythm, melody, texture, and form, and is designed for grades 4-6.
- Composer: Carl Orff
- Composer: Gunild Keetman
- ISBN: 9780930448042
- Width: 9.0"
- Length: 11.0"
- 352 pages
Order this comprehensive teaching tool today to give your students an excellent start on their musical path.


Have you ever wondered how babies learn new things as quickly as they do? In this talk Laura Schulz demonstrates that little one’s are employing internal rules of logic to order their world long before they are able to talk!
Who is she?:
Laura Schulz studies early childhood learning at MIT’s Early Childhood Cognition Lab.““[Infant behavior] sHer research focuses on the origins of discovery and inquiry.
Why you should watch:
The work of Laura Schultz and her colleagues is reshaping what we know about childhood perception and cognitive process. Her work is causing and ‘infant revolution’ within the cognitive sciences.
- What is the role of generalization in early learning?
- Describe the methods used snd her finding in the experiment with the balls and 2 babies
- What are the ‘three big ideas’ to emerge from the field og brain and cognitive science in the past few years?
- Even though we human’s often opportate on limited data, she maintains that, most of the time, “we get the world right, and it’s a remarkable and difficult to understand accomplishment”. Discuss.
- If you have access to balls and babies, try to replicate her research and report your results.
A good companion to this talk is also on the Tedtalkspsychology.com website as Patricia Kuhl discusses the linguistic ability of infants:


Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.
Instrument Information Booklet
Instrument Reply Slip
Guitar lessons on every afternoon from 12.45pm.
Brass lessons on Monday 12.20pm.
Ukulele after school on Tuesday 3.30 - 4.30pm.
Keyboard/Piano lessons on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12.40pm.
Cello after school on Wednesday.
Band Practice on after school on Thursday 3.30 - 4.30pm.
Drum lessons on Thursday and Friday from 3.30pm.
Violin lessons on Friday from 1.20pm.
Woodwind lessons on Friday from 2.20pm.
Choir after school on a Friday 3.30 - 4.30pm.
BBC Ten Pieces Primary
- A website for children and adults that is in use in school.
- Online activities for children to have fun with.
- A website to find a variety of performances local and further afield.
- Learn some intriguing facts about famous composers throughout history.


Parents and Teachers: Support Ducksters by following us on or .
Science >> Earth Science for Kids
Earth Science for Kids
Weather Glossary and Terms
Anemometer - A meteorological instrument used to measure wind speed.
Barometer - A meteorological instrument used to measure the atmospheric pressure.
Blizzard - A snow storm that has winds of 35 miles per hour or more.
Climate - A pattern of weather in a region as measured over a long period of time.
Cloud - A mass of tiny water droplets floating in the atmosphere that we can see from the ground.
Cold front - A front where cold air is replacing warm air.
Coriolis effect - The effect that the Earth's rotation has on objects on Earth such as prevailing winds and ocean currents.
Depression - An area of low atmospheric pressure that is surrounded by clouds and precipitation.
Dew - Drops of water that comes from water vapor condensing on objects near the ground.
El Nino - A period of warming in the water of the Pacific Ocean near the equator.
Eye - The center of a tropical cyclone or hurricane where there is low air pressure, no clouds, and calm winds.
Flash flood - A flash flood is a flood that happens quickly (just a few hours), usually due to heavy rain.
Fog - A cloud that is low to the ground and makes it hard to see.
Front - The boundary between low and high air pressure systems.
Hail - Hail is a type of precipitation in the form of lumps of ice. It is formed in the updrafts of large thunderstorms.
High-pressure system - A region with high air pressure and cool, dry air.
Humidity - A measurement of the amount of water vapor in the air.
Hurricane - A tropical cyclone that formed in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Ice storm - An ice storm occurs when rain falls on objects and then freezes. The weight of the ice can cause damage, causing trees and power lines to fall.
Isobar - A line on a weather map that represents a given barometric pressure. All points on the line, or isobar, have the same barometric pressure.
Knot - A measure of speed most often used in the ocean. One knot equals 1.15 miles per hour.
Jet Stream - A narrow band of strong winds in the upper atmosphere.
La Nina - When the waters near the equator in the Pacific Ocean cool down.
Low-pressure system - A region with low air pressure and warm, moist air.
Meteorology - The study of the Earth's atmosphere.
Precipitation - Precipitation occurs when the condensation of water vapor causes it to fall to the Earth's surface. It can occur in many forms including rain, sleet, snow, and hail.
Prevailing winds - Winds that blow fairly consistently in the same direction over a particular area of the Earth's surface.
Rain - Precipitation that falls to the ground in the form of liquid droplets.
Snow - Frozen precipitation that falls to the ground when water vapor is turned into ice.
Squall - A sudden increase in sustained winds over a short time period.
Storm surge - A rise in the sea level at the coastline due to a huge storm such as a hurricane.
Supercell - A very large and long-lived thunderstorm.
Thunderstorm - A storm that produces thunder and lighting. It usually also generates high winds and rain.
Tornado - A rotating column of air with high wind speeds that makes contact with the ground.
Tropical cyclone - A large rotating storm with high speed winds that forms over warm waters in the ocean.
Typhoon - A tropical cyclone that formed in Southeast Asia.
Warm front - A front where warm air is replacing cold air.
Water vapor - The gas phase of water.
Wind - Wind is the movement or flow of air on a large scale.
Earth Science Subjects
Science >> Earth Science for Kids


Elementary teaching methods courses
Teachers are tasked with the important responsibility of guiding their students towards academic excellence. This requires a deep understanding of teaching methods, including the ability to match each student’s needs to the curriculum being taught. It also requires continued education to stay ahead of developments in teaching methods.
By broadening your knowledge of elementary teaching methods you can have an even greater impact on your students. Our classes are designed to guide you through important topics like instructional practices for remedial mathematics, enhancing reading comprehension and how to construct and carry out performance assessments.
Taking elementary teaching methods courses helps you broaden your knowledge and develop new tools as an educator. They might also help you meet certain criteria for potential recertification, endorsements and professional development.
Enroll in elementary teaching methods courses and study topics such as:
- Current theories and methods to support literacy development.
- The integration of educational technology into the elementary setting.
- The reliability and validity of standardized assessments.
- How to construct curriculum in a variety of subjects.
We understand the importance of continuing education for educators, along with the challenges you face in fitting classes into your busy schedule. To help you meet your goals, we offer courses that you can take online, doing your coursework when it’s convenient for you. Additionally, when you enroll you’ll have access to support and online tools to help you succeed, including career services.
Enroll in teaching methods courses for personal growth or professional development. Please note, if you plan on transferring credits to an outside educational institution, it’s important that you check with them to determine if credits are transferrable before enrolling.
Our goal is to help working professionals have access to the education they need to enhance their careers. Call 866.484.1809 or request additional information today.
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Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student's responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student's choice. Individual courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.
Although our Continuing Education for Teachers courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing Education for Teachers courses are not intended to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.
It is the student's responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by employers and/or applicable licensing agencies.
While widely available, not all courses are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative


What is Climbing Therapy
Occupational Therapists use Climbing as a form of therapy due to its benefits to typical area's of weakness in children with Autistic Spectrum Conditions. Climbing targets the vestibular system (balance), proprioception (spatial body awareness), muscle tone, gross and fine motor skills and interhemispheric integration (communication between the two sides of the brain).
Speech Therapists are now recognising the benefits of rock climbing for Children with Autism. An indoor rock climbing wall is an ideal environment to teach vital communication skills that are essential for positive interaction with others. Climbing sessions tend to be predictable and based on routines allowing children to feel safe and in control. Speech Therapists use photo social stories and visual schedules to help prepare children for the climbing sessions. The physical side of climbing makes it very engaging, motivating and helps to meet the child's sensory need for movement.
The link between motor skills and social development
The link between motor skills and social skills in Autism has been documented in numerous studies. Research has suggested that developing motor skills is crucial for children and can help them to develop better social skills. Scientists have recommended that motor skill development be incorporated into early interventions for children with Autism. However, Climbing Therapy by a qualified Speech Therapist is currently the only therapy available that works on motor skills and social skills simultaneously.
How does it work?
A typical Climbing Therapy programme consists of targeted games and activities to develop Social Communication, Emotional Understanding and Attention and Listening Skills.
Taking Emotional Understanding as an example, many children with Autism find it difficult to imagine and discuss abstract concepts such as emotions out of context. This means that working on Emotional Understanding in an office with a Speech Therapist can be difficult for a young person with Autism. In Climbing Therapy, the climbing wall provides an emotionally stimulating environment to discuss emotions in context, from the elation of completing a climb, nervousness at a difficult route or tiredness after a particularly long climb. Rather than identifying happy, sad, angry faces on worksheets, Games are used to help identify emotions, for example, 'climb to the happy face' and 'Wall Scrabble' to find hidden letters on a climbing wall as a method of introducing Emotional Vocabulary. Children are taught coping strategies to help manage anxiety when climbing and parents are supported to apply the same strategies in the home.
Climbing Therapy is also used to develop social skills, most commonly as part of a social skills group.
Research has found that typical social skills group interventions are only 'minimally effective'. Groups have been criticised for their contrived nature and anecdotal evidence indicates that many young people do not find the sessions engaging or motivating. In contrast at climbing social skills groups the social setting is naturalistic. The focus is not on the children's deficit in social skills, but their shared interest, and competence, at rock climbing. Climbing groups help children to develop their turn taking skills, provide scaffolding for conversations, build confidence and independence and nurture the development of new friendships. Climbing groups such as these are also a method of encouraging children with Autism to get out into the community and engage in age appropriate leisure activities.
Potential for Earlier Intervention and application to lower functioning children
Research shows that children who receive earlier and more comprehensive intervention had greater advancements in social communication symptoms. Traditional Social Skills groups or 1:1 Direct teaching of social skills tend to target older children with high functioning Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. Younger children or those towards the lower end of the Spectrum are often unable to successfully access speech therapy due to its high demand on their language abilities. Climbing Therapy can be used on children as young as three who would otherwise have to wait years for formal social skills training. Climbing Therapy also has potential to be used as a method of delivering Speech Therapy to pre or minimally verbal children who would otherwise have limited access to Social Skills interventions.
When finding a Therapist, ensure they are a qualified practitioner and are registered with the Health Care Professionals Council. You can check whether they are registered here. Ask whether there are any introductory offers or taster session to ascertain whether the therapy is right for your child. This gives your child a chance to see whether they enjoy rock climbing. You can find more information about The Therapy Adventure's Climbing Therapy programme here.


Have you ever wondered how music might affect our health?
Music is capable of a number of health benefits including lowering stress levels, raising states of consciousness, changing moods, accessing different states of mind, developing the brain and is useful in meditation. The fact is, there isn’t a single human culture on earth that has lived without music! Many have said music heals the soul, and it appears that they were right!
1. Improves visual & verbal skills
Several studies have shown that music education at an early age stimulates the child’s brain in a number of ways that helps to improve verbal skills, communication skills and visual skills.
A study that looked at 4 to 6 year olds who were subject to one month of musical training that included training in rhythm, pitch, melody, voice and basic musical concepts resulted in enhanced ability to understand words and explain their meaning.
A study using subjects that were 8 to 11 year olds found that those who were involved in extra-curricular music classes were developing higher verbal IQ’s and their visual ability was greater than those who were not receiving the training.
Even children as young as one year old who participated in interactive music lessons with their parents had a greater ability to communicate, smiled more frequently and were showing greater signs of sophisticated brain responses to music.
2. Keeps an aging brain healthy
Research has shown that having musical training and listening to or playing music in old age can help keep the brain healthy especially as it ages. Since listening to music is like exercising the brain, one can expect the benefits of better memory and mental sharpness as they age.
Even people who have some form of brain damage can regain partial or full access to memories (depending on severity) by listening to music, as listening can help draw on old memories and neurological patterns due to the fact that the rhythm and sounds of music stay within the core of the mind for a long time.
3. Music makes you happier
Music has the power to do so much. It can make you feel happy, sad, excited or even pumped up. Listening to music that hits you in a special way causes your brain to release dopamine which is known as a feel good chemical. It causes us to feel emotions like happiness, excitement, joy, etc. Listening to music provides us with the same burst of happiness that we would get from eating a piece of chocolate, sex or certain drugs.
Another study showed that music with a quick tempo played in a major key made people feel happy, while music with a slow tempo in a minor key more easily led to feelings of sadness.
4. Reduces heartbeat, pulse rate & blood pressure
Studies have shown that music strengthens the heart and improves the recovery time of patients who were suffering from heart disease.
Regardless of the genre of music, listening to your favorite music releases endorphins in the brain that help to improve vascular health. It has been seen that both men and women who listened to music soon after cardiac surgery were much less anxious and even reported having less pain as opposed to those who rested quietly.
5. Improves sleep quality
Some of the most common things to interfere with sleep are stress and anxiety (heart rates.) Since music has the ability to affect both in a positive way, research has found that listening to music at various times promotes better sleep patterns for people and even created more restful sleeps. In some cases music might even be able to be used to effectively treat insomnia.
6. Boosts your immune system & reduces pain
Research has shown that music is capable of reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is responsible for weakening the immune system, increasing risk of heart disease, interfering with learning and memory, lowering bone density, blood pressure, etc. Research found that by listening to just 50 minutes of uplifting music the levels of antibodies in the human body increases. While different types of music were not studied, it is important one listens to music they enjoy as personal preference of music does have an effect on overall physical effects.
7. Reduces depression & anxiety
Music can have positive effects on the psyche, mood, pain and quality of life as well.


Thoughts on bi-lingual education in South Africa
This post is taken directly from my research article recommendations: The choice of language of learning in iNquthu schools: Who is gaining? Our strong view is Bilingual Education (instruction) model is one of the effective language policy frameworks that South Africa should continue to strive for. Bilingual education is a simple label for a complex phenomenon (Cazden & Snow, 1990; Baker, 1993:9, as cited in Garcia, 2009). Bilingual education refers to education in more than one language often encompassing more than two languages (Baker, 2001). Bilingual education relies on programs that use the language as a medium of instruction. Bilingual education is a way of providing meaningful and equitable education, as well as education that builds tolerance towards other linguistic and cultural groups. In so doing, bilingual education programs provide a general education, teach in two or more languages, and develop multiple understandings about languages and cultures whilst fostering appreciation for human diversity (Garcia, 2009:7) Rose and Martin (2012) argue that countries such as Australia have adopted the model and the results are amazing already to this end. Bilingual education takes into account the fact that there is the different language background students come to school with. The main focus is on students who, most of the time, have adequate resources of spoken language but little or no experiences of different ways of meaning-making in written language. Learning is described to emerge from within and ‘language is osmotically absorbed from the child’s environment. The principle that effective teaching involves providing learners with explicit knowledge about the language in which the curriculum is written and negotiated in the classroom. The teaching consists of explicit transmissions of knowledge, skills and, values, and the criteria of assessment are visible. Of central importance is that all students are given the opportunities and expected to accomplish the same level of task. Therefore teachers need strategies to support them equally’ (Rose & Martin, 2012:58). Bilingual education is a responsive-model in that it promotes social interaction amongst learners, teachers and members of the educational community, using two or more different languages (Creese & Martin, 2003). Bilingual education is very useful in the sense that it relies on the pedagogy that works for all students, regardless of their social and linguistic background (Rose & Martin, 2012:58) Another emphasis of a Bilingual education model is on building of understanding of a text before learners could start with the actual reading. The whole idea with promotion of bilingual education is the need to build a supportive nurturing classroom environment for literacy development, similar to that experienced by learners during spoken language development in their homes (Rose & Martin, 2012:30) This paper proposes that a tailor-made Language-in-Education Policy framework in South Africa be put in place, where African learners can write text (genre) and answers in their home language, then provide a free English translation during teaching and learning. This will serve three purposes:
- Opportunity to answer assessment questions correctly and with ease.
- Improve English literacy competence, as they use both English and their indigenous mother tongue parallel with English.
- Use and development of indigenous languages for academic purposes.


UNIQUE INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF TUDOR GUNS - Tuesday, 1 October 2013
History will come alive at the Royal Armouries Museum at Fort Nelson next Saturday (October 12) as our curators explain the heavy artillery used on King Henry VIII’s favourite warship, The Mary Rose, which sank in The Solent in 1545.
The in-depth, day-long event includes talks by our experts, a tour and firing demonstration – plus the chance to learn Tudor gun drill, using replica guns on the Fort’s Parade.
Unique research – carried out in conjunction with the Mary Rose Trust – will be revealed, providing the only real insight into the performance of Tudor gunnery.
Royal Armouries’ Keeper of Artillery Nicholas Hall said, “Tudor artillery has been a special area for research, particularly in conjunction with the Mary Rose Trust, since the recovery of ship artefacts and then the hull itself from the depths of the Solent.
“Our research is unique and will provide real insights into Tudor gunnery. Including our hands-on session, this is something not available anywhere else and should be fascinating to anybody interested in naval warfare, the Tudor period, and artillery generally.”
Nicholas will start the day’s programme by examining how Royal Armouries and the Mary Rose Trust conducted trials into the performance and handling of the key weapons on board.
Nicholas added, “In the case of artillery, replicas were built – first of a port piece then of a culverin. The first is breech-loading gun made of wrought iron while the second is a bronze gun, loaded at the muzzle. I will explain how these massive pieces were made, how they were fired and what conclusions can be drawn from the trials.”
Curator of Artillery Philip Magrath will then explain how Henry placed great emphasis on coastal fortifications in the face of European hostilities – and how the Solent, with its important strategic harbours, was heavily defended.
The Royal Armouries’ collection is particularly strong in objects relating to King Henry VIII and contains some key pieces of his artillery. A tour by the speakers will point out how Henry used foreign craftsmen to improve English artillery and look at the high quality of his guns – both as weapons and royal status symbols.
The event runs from 11am to 4pm and tickets are priced at £30. For more information about Royal Armouries, and ticket sales, visit www.royalarmouries.org
Background – Standing high on Portsdown Hill near Fareham, Fort Nelson showcases one of the world’s finest collections of artillery, down the ages and from across the globe. In 2011, this unique heritage attraction underwent a £3.5m redevelopment to create a museum for the 21st century, supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, complete with new galleries, state-of-the-art education centre and visitor facilities.
Notes to editors
- Royal Armouries is the national museum of arms and armour and has sites in Leeds, HM Tower of London, Fort Nelson and Louisville, Kentucky. It is the first British national museum to open a permanent presence in another country
- Admission to the museum is free. However, there may be a small charge for some special events.
- Open all year daily, 10am-5pm. Closed 24-25 December
- Information Line: 0113 220 1999
- Website: www.royalarmouries.org
- The Royal Armouries Museum should not be confused with Royal Armouries International plc, the private sector corporate hospitality business.
To find Fort Nelson, follow the brown Tourist signs from the M27. The Fort is open seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm.


Ages of students: 4 and 5 year olds Course length: 2 years Class schedule: One class per week Parent participation: Required (participation enables parent to be an effective "at home" learning partner)
Curriculum: The in-class musical experiences nurture creativity and help instill the basis for playing and expression through feeling and understanding music. Lesson contents include:
Hearing: Listening to wonderful music helps children:
Develop emotional sensitivity
Develop an ear for music
Feel and express music in time rhythmically
Singing: Children love to sing! Singing develops:
Correct tempo, rhythm and pitch
Understanding of note names
Playing: Performing songs introduces children to the joy of expressing music by themselves. Playing also helps students:
Get familiar with the five-line staff and keyboard
Express music with both hands
Creating: Junior Music Course experiences cultivate children's:
Sense of harmony
Yamaha Teachers are Dedicated
They are also eager to work with young children and parents. Committed to providing happy, rewarding first musical experiences, these college-trained musicians and educators have passed demanding tests in musicianship while completing rigorous training prior to certification by the Yamaha Music Education System.
Upon Completion of the Course
Once your child has completed the Junior Music Course, he or she will take part in a "Fundamental Skills Survey" to confirm his or her musical achievement. Teachers refer to Survey results to correctly place students in advanced courses of study such as the Junior Extension Course and Junior Special Advanced Course. As the children develop more advanced musical skills, they are also encouraged to express themselves by performing and composing their own music through programs like Junior Original Concert.
An International Music Education System
When you enroll your child in the Junior Music Course, you are assured of an excellent first course of musical study. Yamaha has invested over 50 years of music education research in dozens of countries throughout the world. Through Yamaha Music Schools, more than 6 million people worldwide have been introduced to the joy of music.
4620 Barranca Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92604, (949) 559-5440, firstname.lastname@example.org
If you are experiencing issues with the website, please contact us at email@example.com.


Elementary education is free and compulsory although this is not strictly enforced and many children are not able to attend due to their families need to have them work. Communities located on the Atlantic Coast have access to education in their native languages in both Spanish and the languages of the native indigenous tribes that live in the more rural areas of Nicaragua. Higher education has financial, organic and administrative autonomy, according to the law. Also, freedom of subjects is recognized. The school year runs from February through November.
The oldest institution of higher education in Nicaragua is the Universidad
Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua, which was founded in 1812, which also dates
back to the Spanish colonial period.
Nicaragua became a part of the Central American Federation in 1821
and also declared its independence from Spain. It left the Federation in 1838 for full
independence. There are many commercial schools and eight universities throughout the
country. Between 2002 and 2003, a total of 100,363 Nicaraguan students attended
universities and other institutions of higher learning. The National Council
of Universities is the body responsible for strategic planning in
Admission to higher education is on the basis of the Bachillerato, the
school qualification. Students are also subject to an entrance examination.
The Licenciado, the main undergraduate degree, is a four or five year
course of study. A professional title may also be awarded depending on the
subject. Following the Licenciado, the first postgraduate degree is the
Maestria, which lasts two years and culminates with the submission of a
Institutions of higher learning also offer two or three year courses in technical and vocational
education. The main qualification studied for is the Tecnico Superior


This past April at the National Art Education Association’s annual conference in Baltimore, Craig Roland hosted and participated in a panel presentation called “What’s Worth Teaching in Art?” But before the panel even began, which was running in a Pecha Kucha format, the title of the workshop itself begged another question: What’s worth learning in art?
And this gets me to thinking about skills.
Recently, I was having a conversation with a colleague (and then myself) about the kinds of skills worth teaching in K-12 visual arts classrooms today. In the past, so much time has been spent teaching very specific techniques and approaches, that alternative ways of thinking about and making art have been largely ignored. In many, many schools even today, students spend countless hours of class time mimicking artist styles instead of thinking broadly and figuring out how to best represent the things they’re thinking and dreaming about.
Today I’d like to start a running list of some important skills we may want to begin considering seriously in contemporary art education, if we aren’t already. Perhaps this is the start of the book I keep forgetting to write? I don’t know.
When I think about the skills I want students to possess after taking a course with me, I think about teaching things like:
- Brainstorming- creating multiple solutions to visual problems
- Embracing ambiguity
- Working with and without a plan
- Exploring the tactile qualities of materials and finding qualities that best serve big ideas
- Experimenting with a material before committing to a certain form or way of using it
- Using traditional and non-traditional materials to make art, including various forms of technology
- Collaborating with others to make art
- Juxtaposing art and artists to learn through association
- Giving and receiving feedback in order to improve ideas and works of art
In the interest of teaching kids things they can use beyond the classroom, I feel that the list above can initially be part of a new set of skills rather than focusing on teaching my high school students to crank out projects about pointillism, cubism, or any other ism for that matter. If the ism fits, let’s learn from it. If not, let’s think a little more broadly and find skills that better suit our students today.


To ensure universal access to quality education for establishing literate society
Providing free and compulsory quality education at elementary level and improving the standard of secondary and higher secondary level, and also improving adult literacy.
1 Equity : Inclusion of disadvantaged groups, weaker sections and illiterate adults.
2 Quality : Improving standards of education.
3 Formulating policy and carrying out institutional and systematic reforms.
4 Access : Expansion of school and Teacher capacity building.
5 Retention : Improving retention rate of School children
The School Education Department looks after formal education through schools from Class I to Class XII, that is, Elementary Education from Class I to Class VIII, Secondary Education from Class IX to Class X, Higher Secondary Education from Class XI to Class XII. It also looks after Adult Education, Hindi Education and Physical Education. Besides, the department is also implementing various Central Schemes/programmes such as
1) Rashtrya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhyian (RMSA)
2) Sarva Shiksha Abhyian (SSA)
3) Mid-Day Meal
4) Right to Education Act, 2009.
It is the biggest department consisting of around 33% of the entire government work force in Mizoram as per the census of Govt. Employees, 2008.
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shisha Abhyan (RMSA) and Sarva Shiksha Abhyian (SSA) are implemented through the Mizoram Education Mission Society in which the Secretary to the Government, School Education Department is the Mission Director. They are headed by the State Project Directors. The Right to Education Act is also implemented through the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Though the department has a good number of notable achievements during the last Five year plan, there is still a long way to go to achieve the desirable qualitative changes. Therefore the programmes and schemes are directed towards achieving these goals which of course definitely imply allocation of resources reasonably. Further, in order to reform the system of education in the State of Mizoram, the Government of Mizoram set up the Education Reforms Commission to recommend ways and means to raise standards of education and improve its quality.


Early childhood education regards education in early childhood, which are the most vulnerable stages in a persons life. According to the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), it spans the human life from birth to age eight.
Other terms that are often used interchangeably with "early childhood education" are "early childhood learning," "early care," and "early education."
Early childhood education often focuses on children learning through play. The term, "early childhood education," is often used to describe preschool or baby / child care programs.
Early childhood education is also incorrectly referred to by many as "babysitting." This stigma is widespread and many do not seem to understand the importance of educating young children. Due to early childhood learning spaces being more holistic and based around play centers many (without a trained eye) think that what trained educators are doing is providing play opportunities for children, with no structure or assessment of abilities.
Infants and toddlers experience life more holistically than any other age group. Social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and physical lessons are not learned separately by very young children. Adults who are most helpful to young children interact in ways that understand that the child is learning from the whole experience, not just that part of the experience to which the adult gives attention. Researchers in the field and early childhood educators both view the parents and/or families as an integral part of the early childhood education process. Early childhood education takes many forms depending on the theoretical and educational beliefs of the educator or parent.
Much of the first two years of life are spent in the creation of a child's first "sense of self" or the building of a first identity. This is a crucial part of children's makeup--how they first see themselves, how they think they should function, how they expect others to function in relation to them. For this reason, early care must ensure that in addition to employing carefully selected and trained caretakers, program policy must emphasize links with family, home culture, and home language. Care should support children's families rather than be a substitute for them.
If a young child doesn't receive sufficient nurturing, nutrition, parental/caregiver interaction, and stimulus during this crucial period, the child may be left with a developmental deficit that hampers his or her success in preschool, kindergarten, and beyond.
Worst-case scenarios such as those found in Russian and Romanian orphanages demonstrate how the lack of proper social interaction and development of attachment affect the developing child. Children must receive attention and affection from their caregivers to develop in a healthy manner.


Welcome to this summer’s Technology, Math and Literacy Program. This student-friendly and engaging program is designed for 21st century learners who want to improve their literacy and numeracy skills through a blended learning environment. Utilizing technology in the classroom proves to be a motivating venue that focuses on the key literacy and numeracy concepts in an enjoyable and interactive way.
Teachers will use available technological resources (e.g. Internet, computers, SMART Boards, iPads, Web 2.0 tools, etc.) to devise engaging and purposeful technology-based learning activities designed to enhance classroom instruction and support student achievement. Students will be working within a secure, password protected online learning environment called the provincial Learning Management System (LMS). They may respond to classroom assignments via the computer, participate in online classroom discussions and access selected online learning resources to explore and reinforce concepts.
This summer’s two-week program will be from Monday, July 10th to Friday, July 21st from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Our programs are located at various schools based on enrolment - the closest location is St. Thomas CES in Waterdown but you may choose the site that is most convenient to your family.
Please see the attached package for information and registration forms.


Category: Art & Photography|
The author of the book: Josef Albers
Format files: PDF, EPUB, TXT, DOCX
The size of the: 764 KB
Edition: Yale University Press
Date of issue: 2 July 2013
Description of the book "Interaction of Color":Josef Albers's Interaction of Color is a masterwork in art education. Conceived as a handbook and teaching aid for artists, instructors, and students, this influential book presents Albers's singular explanation of complex color theory principles. Originally published by Yale University Press in 1963 as a limited silkscreen edition with 150 color plates, Interaction of Color first appeared in paperback in 1971, featuring ten color studies chosen by Albers, and has remained in print ever since. With over a quarter of a million copies sold in its various editions since 1963, Interaction of Color remains an essential resource on color, as pioneering today PDF as when Albers first created it. Fifty years after Interaction's initial publication, this new edition presents a significantly expanded selection of close to sixty color studies alongside Albers's original text, demonstrating such principles as color relativity, intensity, and temperature; vibrating and vanishing boundaries; and the illusion of transparency and reversed grounds. A celebration of the longevity and unique authority of Albers's contribution, this landmark edition will find new audiences in studios and classrooms around the world.
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Download EBOOK Interaction of Color for free


Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The 3 Rs of Poetry
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Poetry scares me.
How about you?
Poetry is language organized by rhythm. Reading and reciting poems with your child can be a very beneficial activity when it comes to building early literacy skills.
Many people think children will dislike poetry,
but that`s far from the truth...Children get a
real kick out of the bounce and wackiness of
poetry, and poems can often be paths to
literacy for children who have previously
found reading difficult.
- Mem Fox, Reading Magic, p. 88
Rhythm and Rhyme
Poems with good rhythm, the way the words bounce off the tongue, are especially appealing to young children who are mastering language and reading. The best ones should almost seem like you`re singing them.
Being able to rhyme is a very important milestone in early literacy development. Rhyme helps children understand that words that share common sounds often share common letter sequences. Rhyme also helps children break words into smaller parts and recognize smaller parts in words.
Nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce rhyme. They can be spoken, sung or read aloud. Not only are nursery rhymes a pleasure to hear and to share, they provide a building block toward literacy.
Books with Rhythm
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom? by Bill Martin Jr.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess
I Went Walking by Sue Williams
Books with Rhyme
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle
Down by the Bay by Raffi
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Repetition helps children make good guesses about what words will come next when you are reading with them or to them. Notice how your child’s reading confidence builds when the same great line keeps coming around again. This will help your child see himself as a reader.
Repetition helps information “stick” in your child’s memory. Your child will remember what they read long after they have read it.
Repetition makes poems memorable for your child and helps them understand what they are reading (the storyline).
Books with Repetition
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle
Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
What Else Does Poetry Help With?
vocabulary knowing the names of things
assonance the repetition of vowel sounds that are close together. Example: I made my way to the lake.
consonance the repetition of consonant sounds that are close together. Example: Brown bear, brown bear
syllable counting chunks of sounds in words
patterning word order and sentence structure
learning and remembering
Do not to squirt glue all over the paper :
"A drop, a drop, a drop will do
Any more is too much glue."
"A straight line down makes a one
Writing numbers can be fun!"
pretend play using imagination to make mental images
alliteration two or more words begin with the same letter or sound.
Example: Miss Mary Mack
Favourite Poets for younger children:
Does anyone have any other suggestions for books with great rhythm, rhyme or repetition? How about great poetry books for young children?
What are some creative ways to use poetry with young children?


Teaching & Learning In/Through/With the Arts
The standardization of both curriculum and assessment within the most recent education policy reforms and the current academic “push down” of formal curriculum to the early years give little recognition to the dynamic and complex processes involved in children’s learning. Although there is increased interest in arts integration and multiliteracies across content areas, art largely remains a curricular space that is perceived to be about self-expression and that requires little to no instructional guidance (Thompson, 2007). In our final section, Teaching and Learning In/Through/With the Arts, the contributing authors provide examples that highlight multimodal approaches to teaching and underline the power and possibilities of the arts in young children’s learning.
Our first selection, Art Education at Bank Street College, Then and Now, by Edith Gwathmey and Ann-Marie Mott, takes readers through the history of art education at Bank Street College to show the innovative and child-centered approaches that continue to challenge dominant educational thinking. The second essay, Sophie Rudolph’s Theorising through Visual and Verbal Metaphors: Challenging Narrow Depictions of Children and Learning, takes issue with current education policy in Australia. Through a rich description of how young children use drawing to express their emerging understandings of the world, Rudolph disrupts narrow definitions of the child as learner. In our final essay, Time for a Paradigm Shift: Recognizing the Critical Role of Pictures Within Literacy Learning, Beth Olshansky broadens the definition of literacy with the help of children’s drawings and conversations. She shows how the social practices of literacy are enacted in and through the visual.