Phonics Games Build Literacy Skills
Learning to read and write fluently requires mastery of phonological awareness and phonics skills. Having automaticity in word recognition allows readers to concentrate on comprehension and allows writers to express their ideas.
Why are these skills important?
Building early literacy skills begins with phonological awareness, the key element in learning phonics. Once they can begin to understand phonics, the system of sound and letter correspondence, beginning readers can accurately decode words and writers can spell them. Word recognition also includes the automaticity of word meaning. Developing good spelling and vocabulary skills is essential for effective written communication as well. Vocabulary development also promotes fluency by building background knowledge and concepts necessary for reading comprehension. Developing these skills over time achieves the ultimate goal of reading and writing fluency.
Phonics & Phonological Awareness
Games for Premium Members
VocabularySpellingCity’s word study activities help students practice important foundational skills, with the added flexibility of using any word list.
- Word Building & Word Recognition
- Sound-Spelling Correspondences
- Vocabulary Development
- Multisyllabic Words
Sound It Out! lets beginning readers practice phoneme (letter sound) and grapheme (sound spelling) relationships by clicking the sound blocks in the right order to spell a word correctly. Students can choose from two game themes.
TeachMe More gives students the opportunity to explore spelling, syllables, sounds, and context, including definitions and parts of speech.
SillyBulls (i.e. Syllables) gives students practice identifying the number of syllables in a word, a key step in word decoding.


(BPT) - From soccer to lacrosse, sports are what most parents initially think about when considering extracurricular activities for their children. However, today’s schools and communities understand there’s a need for diverse afterschool options that challenge kids in a variety of ways.
“While participating in sports can have many benefits, to raise a well-rounded child it’s important to consider other afterschool activities that help them to develop different skillsets,” says Ellen Marks, educational expert and curriculum director at Bricks 4 Kidz. “Introducing a variety of activities helps kids have many experiences so they can discover their natural talents as well as improve areas where they may struggle.”
These extracurricular activities are guaranteed to broaden your children’s horizons and provide them with plenty of fun and education:
Nature: Because we live in such a digitized world, many school systems are now offering nature-based programs that teach important science and biology skills while instilling respect for Mother Nature. Check out these types of programs at school or through your local nature center. Scouts is another fantastic option with many nature-based activities.
Theater: Many kids dream of becoming stars on their favorite TV shows, and theater experience is the first step in exploring that interest. It's not just for high school students. Acting classes, musical theater and play production are all great options enjoyed by students with a wide-range of abilities.
STEM: Help your kids grow important science, technology, engineering and math skills through STEM classes like Bricks 4 Kidz. These group classes — available for kindergarten through middle school — use LEGO Bricks, gears, motors and more to build exciting projects. Students learn to work together and solve problems while creating something they can feel proud of.
Music: Music afterschool activities exercise the brain in a variety of ways. Inherently creative, music is also very technical. Learning about notes, chords and music theory is mathematical in many ways. Explore choir, instrument classes and band camps to inspire your junior Mozart.
Martial arts: Taekwondo (from Korea) and Karate (from Japan) are both great options for children. Classes offer physical exercise that improve balance and stamina, but parents enjoy many of the other benefits that often come from studying martial arts, including increased focus, discipline and respect for others.
Cooking: With the expansive popularity of cooking shows, kids have never had more interest in what goes on in the kitchen. Sign students up for cooking classes and they’ll learn proper cooking technique and whip up some tasty treats in the process. Soon enough, you may be able to hand off one meal a week to your chef-in-training.
Art: With the reality of many schools reducing or cutting art programs, exploring art education outside of the classroom becomes even more important. Kids love to create and there are a variety of art programs for the next Picasso or Rembrandt. Drawing programs are wildly popular, but also consider sculpture, pottery and mixed-media classes.
Technical clubs: Today’s youth grow up with technology, so they have a natural inclination toward any activity that incorporates it. For example, robotics clubs are popping up in elementary and middle schools across the country. Check out Bricks 4 Kidz Jr. Robotics and Advanced Robotics classes where kids build a motorized model and watch it come to life using simple LEGO WeDo and LEGO Mindstorms EV3 software. Learn more at www.bricks4kidz.com.


College of Education
Motivation in education;Elementary schools
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this research study was to determine what happens when intrinsically motivating strategies and an extrinsic reward program are implemented in a fifth-grade inclusion classroom. The intrinsic strategies of enthusiasm, incorporating student choice into the lessons, and cooperative learning groups were used to help teach students during their literacy block. Additionally, an extrinsic reward program was put into effect once the three strategies had already been conducted. Qualitative inquiry strategies such as student motivation surveys, teacher observation checklists, focus group discussions, student written feedback, and observations recorded in my own teacher research journal, were all used to facilitate collecting information and data. Upon categorizing the data and searching for main ideas, the factors that most affected data in this study were related to teacher enthusiasm, student engagement, collaborative learning groups, and an extrinsic reward system incorporating options for students.
Tybus, Renee, "Student motivation: the impact intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards have on elementary students" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 25.


According to the national education initiative Reading Rockets, emergent -- or pre -- readers need the opportunity to interact with and become comfortable with print letters as they develop literacy skills. While picture books are a time-tested primary way to teach preschoolers pre-reading skills, you can also harness the power of a simple board game to increase early literacy development and start your young child on the road to reading.
Simplicity is Key
You may think that you've found the absolute essential when it comes to a pre-reading board game, but if the directions are overly complicated or the game play is tricky to figure out, your preschool student will lose interest quickly. Look for board games that feature one-step or simple and basic instructions. For example, opt for a game that only requires your little learner to roll a dice and move a few spots over one that asks your child to add up different numbers before moving back and forth between spaces or has a more strategic focus.
As an emergent reader your child may have more, or less, skills than other preschoolers her age. Pick a board game that meets, and goes slightly above, her current ability level. For example, if she can point out some of the letters, don't choose a board game that requires your child to child to read an entire direction card or asks her to pick out words that are entirely unfamiliar. On the other hand, if your preschooler knows some simple sight words -- such as cat or dog -- she may have the ability to play a game, such as a word card match, that has some of the basics that she already will recognize. Overall, the game play shouldn't rely solely on your child using actual reading skills. Although the game is helping your child to become a reader, remember that she needs to build up to it through letter recognition and other simple activities.
Memory is a constant classic that you can adapt to your child's learning level. Pick a ready-made deck of alphabet-themed cards or create your own at home. If you're creating your own memory reading game, use index cards to design matching pairs that feature the alphabet. For example, write each capital letter onto two different index cards. Spread the cards out, mixing up the pairs, and let your preschooler figure out the matches for himself. As your child begins to learn simple sight words, you can write words such as cat or boy onto one card and draw or copy a picture of the word onto another for him to match up.
A game of bingo allows the preschool student to identify letters and even spell out simple words. Choose a ready-made bingo board that features the traditional B-I-N-G-O at the top, make your own with any word or letters that you want or go for a ready-made themed version. If you're buying a bingo game, look for a simple version that features capital letters and doesn't include lengthy words. If the board does have words written on the spaces, opt for one with accompanying pictures to make it fit your child's pre-reading level.
- Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images


In our Kindergarten, we believe that children learn best when their individual needs are identified and addressed in a nurturing, supportive and encouraging environment with positive role models.
Learning: Early Learning Centre
Being a happy and fulfilled person is important and essential to a child’s engagement in learning. Each child is first and foremost a member of a family. Parents and other significant family members are a child’s first and most important teachers. At Christ Church Grammar School, we have been cherishing families since 1898.
All children begin Kindergarten with their own learning styles, culture, passions and interests. We believe every child is competent and curious, capable and motivated to learn about their world through play, active exploration and questioning. Active play and social interactions help children make sense of their world and develop social and emotional understandings and self-regulation.
Children develop confidence and a sense of self as they gain independence, competence and feel heard and accepted for who they are right now. We guide every child towards developing the resilience needed to deal with life little bumps effectively. We focus on children’s holistic development and strengths encouragement of persistence and a positive mindset is vital for success.
We support children to value differences and the richness that a diverse community and other perspectives can bring to us. We believe all children have the right to a high quality Early Childhood education. We value participation, inclusion and equity for all children and their families and this is incorporated into our policies and practices.
Our environment plays an important role in encouraging children to be independent and capable problem solvers. Teachers create a comfortable and home like environment that provides choice within predictable, yet flexible routines helping each child find a sense of belonging and ownership. We create learning environments incorporating multi-sensory spaces that offer natural materials and open-ended experiences.
We follow the Early Years Learning Framework and are inspired by a holistic approach including emergent curriculum and inquiry learning. We are beginning to implement the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment program into our four year old program to enhance children’s intrinsic motivation, encourage them to welcome challenge and develop thinking and lifelong learning skills. We seek to provide a strong foundation of dispositions, values and skills which will allow for a seamless transition to formal education.
Literacy and Numeracy
The foundation skills in literacy and numeracy skills are embedded into our everyday programs and intentional interactions. Educators help children apply these skills in meaningful experiences and projects.
Phonics Program-Little Learners Love Literacy
Learning to read is a complex task but Milo the monkey and his friends introduce children to the letters and sounds providing a simple, fun and engaging approach. The program is developed from evidence based literacy research with an emphasis at the first stages, on explicit teaching in the following developmental areas:
Phonemic awareness and Phonics
Little Learners also includes the teaching of handwriting as an integral part of teaching literacy.
The Importance of Phonemic Awareness in Early Reading Development.
Phonemic awareness is the ability to pick out and manipulate sounds in words. Learning to speak is natural, but learning to read is a skill that must be learnt. Explicit teaching in phonemic awareness assists children in making the link between sounds and letters.
With our littlest learners, literacy teaching is woven into our play-based program to ensure that our children are engaged in learning skills that are developmentally appropriate. In 3 YR old Kinder, every child in the group will get to know Milo the Monkey and his friends making for a smooth progression to the next stage of development. With a focus on developmental stage rather than age, teachers will incorporate children into the program when they feel they show signs of readiness.
Teacher Professional Development
A growing body of research establishes a direct link between teacher quality and student learning Early Years Staff at Christ Church Grammar School, form part of a PLC (Professional Learning Community) engaging in research, committed to best practise and ongoing improvement of themselves as Educators. Evaluation and self-review enables us to continuously improve our policies, procedures and practices. This contributes directly to improved learning outcomes for all children. Planning and assessment is a team effort that follows a cycle of data collection, analysis and goal setting and is driven by children’s interests and skills developments.


Using Pictures to Teach Reading and Writing Skills
My students love using pictures to learn their reading skills!
How to Teach Inference
This blog post will take you through a step-by-step method to teach inference to your upper elementary students. It uses a stop light strategy. A free download of inference charts are included! They can be used with any text.
Reading Strategies Mini Anchor Charts
Inference Anchor Chart - Mini Anchor Charts are a great addition to your interactive reading notebook
MivieTalk - (se le) metió, la hizo bailar, no podía sacárselo, el audífono
Use puzzle pieces - Inferring Anchor Chart Fifth grade Standards addressed by using this chart: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Making Inferences Case File: students work in cooperative groups to make inferences over the book or passage inside. Rotate the case file each day throughout the unit for students to gain exposure to different texts.
ELA & Reading Comprehension Strategies Posters, Graphic Organizers & Activities
Research-based Reading Comprehension Strategies Posters (B& W or color), Graphic Organizers & Activities. Support students in visualizing, making inferences, determining importance, using background knowledge, synthesizing information, asking questions, and monitoring comprehension. Perfect for reading all fiction and nonfiction texts!


Providing traditional music lessons on a range of instruments
Do you want to learn an instrument? Would you like to explore musical instruments? Come and experience the vast repertoire of music through the ages?
Music engages both hemisphere’s of the brain. Get your brain in gear by learning an instrument. Ask Central Coast Music Therapy if music lessons are meant for you.
Music is fun. It nurtures creativity and self-expression. Learning music encourages good listening and comprehension while improving memory and concentration.
Through instrument exploration clients/students will gain an understanding of instruments and experience a wide range of musical styles. The experiences gained through music develop physical, cognitive, psychological and social benefits for the individual. Some benefits of learning an instrument include:
- fine and gross motor skills (physical)
- provide body awareness (physical)
- discipline through practice (cognitive)
- increase attention span/attention to task (cognitive)
- provides a sense of accomplishment (psychological)
- promote a sense of control (psychological)
- develop interpersonal relationships (social)
- increase involvement and participation (social)
Our staff is able to provide traditional music lessons on a range of instruments including:
- Beginner guitar
- Beginner ukulele
- Early childhood music exploration
- Music appreciation
When learning an instrument the student will be able to engage, for example, in:
- Sound exploration
- Music based discussion
- Music skill building
- Music performance
- Music instruction
Book or enquire about a music lesson
Book a music lesson
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Music therapy has the ability to improve the lives of people.
Discover music as therapy
Music therapy is a professional discipline that utilises planned and controlled music to achieve therapeutic goals and aims. Music therapy is the functional use of musical interaction to enhance and develop socialisation, communication, selfexpression, and sensory-motor skills.
Sarah Fisher Dobbin
Sarah has been working in music education with students with a range of needs. This includes working in schools that cater for students with behaviour issues and emotional issues, schools for students with moderate to severe intellectual and physical disabilities and in mainstream settings.
Music therapy goals
There are a range of music therapy techniques and interventions that are used during music therapy sessions. There are planned components but there are also activities that can be used in the moment dependent upon reaction, feelings and willingness of the participant(s).
Music Therapy has been wonderful for April. She is singing with more confidence and with more articulation, making her speech clearer and easier to understand. She is enjoying all aspects of her sessions, becoming increasingly less anxious. She particularly enjoys using the microphone.
Lyn – Mother


At Smith, students are guaranteed to meet with a teacher for a 20-minute small group reading lesson every single day. This is made possible by our literacy intervention team that “floods” into classrooms to teach small groups during literacy. If a student is not yet a proficient reader, we’re committed to doing whatever it takes to get him or her there– this includes 40-120 minutes of a small group each day, depending on the unique needs of the child.
For our core literacy instruction, reading and writing are organized into units of study by genre (Smith’s Literacy Scope and Sequence of Assessed Skills and Standards is posted below to preview). The units address rigorous, grade-level standards, skills, and strategies for reading and writing. Teachers use the DPS supported resource of EngageNY, in partnership with genre study texts, and level books for small group, guided reading instruction. In the primary grades (ECE-2nd), teachers also deliver explicit phonics instruction using the resource called FUNdations (in English classrooms) and Estrellita (in Spanish classrooms).
At Smith, we teach mathematics in a format that provides students with explicit, direct instruction, as well as ample opportunities to practice and discover math for themselves! All students participate in a math mini-lesson for 30 minutes at the outset of each lesson. Next, they rotate through a serious of rotations that are tailored to meet students’ individual needs and levels. Each student also meets in a small group with the teacher daily for 20 minutes. This is all possible because we have a 90 minute math block, math interventionists to pull small groups, and the support of Denver Math Fellows.
In the intermediate grades (2nd-5th), Smith uses the DPS supported EngageNY as our primary resource. Primary classrooms (K-1st), teachers use Everyday Mathematics. A responsive computer program, STMath, is utilized at all levels to provide additional practice, reinforcement and extension activities for all learners each week!
Stay tuned, as DPS is in the process of adopting a new mathematics curriculum for the 2015-2016 school year!


Alphabet Pictures & Sounds Set
The Alphabet Pictures and Sounds set contains:
- Instructions Guide
- Extensions and Games
- Direction of Letters Guide
- 26 Colour Picture Cards
- 26 Letter Cards
What is the alphabet?
Many children can say the alphabet, but do not understand that letters represent the sounds in words.
This Earlyminds Alphabet set was written to help you teach your child the beginning sounds of words in preparation for word building and reading.
Each set has 26 Letter Cards and 26 Picture Cards with step by step instructions. You can purchase the download, print it, and start using it straight away.
There are letter direction guides for upper case and lower case letters helping you teach your child the correct formation of letters.
Why working with your child is important
Understanding the relationship between letters and words is essential in reading and writing. In this exercise you teach your child the shape of the letter by tracing with your finger, the sound of the letter by saying and your child repeating, and the association of the sound to a word with the picture cards.
These are the early building blocks of beginning sounds in preparation for later exercises of word building and reading.
One of the best predictors of reading success is an understanding of letters and beginning sounds. Children who are exposed to a richness of vocabulary through books and stories, and the relationship between the written word and letters, are more likely to meet with success in reading through kindergarten and the later grades at school.
Early exposure in a fun and safe environment means your child is developing an understanding of foundational skills to build upon. If your child starts kindergarten with an awareness of the relationship between letter sounds and the beginning of words they are more likely to understand what is being taught in the classroom. Being prepared for kindergarten means your child has the advantage of understanding learning.
Research shows that the best predictor for success in school is a readiness for learning by kindergarten age. At Earlyminds we design and make materials to build an understanding of the foundational skills needed to prepare for preschool and through kindergarten, grade one, and grade two.


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How does different temperatures affect magnets
Transcript of How does different temperatures affect magnets
Organization determines strength
Temperature determines organization
Independent= Room temperature (70), Boiling temperature (150), freezing (29) and dry ice (-109.3)
Controlled= The size of the magnets, amount of iron shaving available to pick up, the pot used, and the area where testing is done
Dependent= The mass of iron shavings that the magnet picks up measured in milligrams.
1. Gather Materials
2. Put magnet into required temperature
3. Before removing, use infrared thermometer to check the temperature
4. Place the magnet on the scale before picking up the iron shavings
5. Use tongs and place magnet 1 inch above the shaving
6. Place magnet on scale and record the mass
7. Take the difference of the data before the iron shavings and after
Trends- The warmer the magnet, the weaker it is
The colder the magnet, the stronger it is
Everything went as expected
Vibration effected strength
Organization effected the strength
Boiling/room temp.= molecules scattered
Freezer/dry ice= molecules lined up
How molecules of a magnet react to temperature
The movement of the molecules in a magnet
Heated-Molecules change directions
Cooled-Molecules are lined up
More Vibration=weaker magnetic field
Room Temperature Area
Heated=Messier organization of molecules
Cooled= molecules all face same way
Higher kinetic energy when heated
"Heat." - Science for Kids! N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"Cold and Magnets." Cold and Magnets. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
"Magnets and Temperature: Does the Temperature of a Magnet Affect Its Strength?" Education.com.
"Temperature and Kinetic Energy." Temperature and Kinetic Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
Arana, Whitney. "How Does Heat Affect Magnets?" EHow. Demand Media, 22 Apr. 2009. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"What Is an Energy Body?" What Is an Energy Body? N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
The point when a magnet gets too hot and loses magnetism
Molecules bounce frantically
Almost no magnetic field
1043 K (1417.73 degrees Fahrenheit


A series of workbooks that provide really useful practice of basic skills. The books are ideal for use at home or in the classroom for extra practice and reinforcement of topics covered at school. Age range 7-9. Collins Easy Learning Workbooks help children develop their love of learning while building their literacy and numeracy skills through lots of fun activities. Motivating activities make learning fun and boost confidence. Helpful tips for parents and answers are included to help support learning.
Le informazioni nella sezione "Riassunto" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.
Descrizione libro Collins, 2011. Paperback. Condizione libro: Used; Very Good. Codice libro della libreria 2282249
Descrizione libro Paperback. Condizione libro: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Codice libro della libreria GOR005360055
Descrizione libro Paperback. Condizione libro: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Codice libro della libreria GOR003988054
Descrizione libro Condizione libro: Good. Handwriting Workbook 3. Ages 7-9 (Easy Learning). Codice libro della libreria Grb0895122


A. Lead advocacy for music education in Wisconsin; B. Attract and retain quality music educators; C. Provide music educators with meaningful opportunities for professional development; D. Promote lifelong learning in music.
Wisconsin State Music Conference
Each year over 7,000 of Wisconsin’s music educators, students and music education supporters come together in Madison for the Wisconsin State Music Conference. The four days during the conference are filled with sessions on music education, performances from students of all ages, exhibits and much much more.
iListenWI is an affordable program that provides students with an exposure to a wide array of musical genres, to develop life-long intelligent music listeners and consumers, by encouraging higher level thinking and listening skills. This outcome based program can be utilized by teachers for grades K-12 and meets both Wisconsin State Standards and National Music Standards for Music Education.
Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance (CMP)
The Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) Project was initiated in Wisconsin in 1977 as a means of assisting teachers with the development of performance with understanding in school music programs. This training equips teachers with an in-depth process for planning instruction that enhance students’ classroom experience. This enables students to have a deeper understanding and more meaningful musical experience, as well as connect music to all aspects of their students’ education.


Part of the Discoverer experience at Mini Scholars is to learn about sharing and getting along with others. This is a time when children begin participating in activities for longer periods-listening to stories, singing songs, playing games and doing art projects. Through stories, children learn to appreciate language, gain new vocabulary, and learn new words and concepts. Simple participatory songs and games are important introductions to speech patterns, sensory motor skill development and movement skills
Children at the age of two are learning at a rapid pace, establishing language, self-help and potty training skills. Our curriculum ensures that each and every day is filled with interesting things to see and do. With building blocks, simple puzzles and other manipulative activities the children enjoy matching pictures, colors and shapes. They also improve their fine motor skills and explore basic readiness reading and math skills. Our enriched learning environment and personalized care helps instill confidence, build self-esteem and develops the love of learning.
Click here to return to Our Programs


Oh, how I wish I had known about this years ago! Trace your child's hand at every birthday and see it grow. Glue one to the other, but do not glue them down to the mat. (That way you can add next years hand to the back).
50 Montessori Activities for 2 Year Olds - LOTS of ideas to get started! I'll have 2 two year olds once the kids go back to school and would love to do some of these with them!
- weaving = an activty that promotes fine motor skill development - from 30 Kids Activities & Materials for Promoting Fine Motor Skills | hands on : as we grow
Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds: WATERCOLORS ON ICE BLOCKS
How lovely to do this for intake interviews, come September. Families arrive, stick their picture up. I love this!
Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds: Painting on Foil - simple art for toddlers and preschoolers.
Size sorting -
Color Hunt - http://www.pleasantestthing.com/2014/10/color-hunt.html
Water and Transfer Activities at Three Years


Its been noted for several years in the United States that art subject are mostly likely not given much focus towards fine art field especially in high school and elementary educational level of learning but rather provides greater focus towards mathematics and English subject field. But just recently, some researchers have discovered beneficial effects about the inclusion of fine arts towards the learning of young students especially in the early age. It’s been found out that teaching arts can be provides a good benefit to the learners across the entire discipline of life. Scientists have discovered that those learners who studied arts during their high school life especially music and drawing got a more focus brain functioning intensely or excelling in their academics and education program learning.
This findings was been discovered by the brain researchers on how several learners both young and adult individuals learn so fast. It came first into the idea that the human brain don’t lose brain cells especially when the person gets older but rather keep on the status of always being capable of growing. Aside of that, researchers found out that those learners who are studying in art schools especially those who are trained in music field got a correlation of excellence in their ability of doing the geometry. Another aspect that researchers discovered was the effects of music towards the attention of the learners and they have found out that those learners who are very much incline, participative, got motivated towards creativity and got a formal training in art field usually develop much more attention and intelligence especially in their academic education and some extra-curricular activities or sports and physical fitness educational learning. With these findings, it provides a proof that there is an exact correlation between music and the excellence gain in the field of math.
As of now, brain imaging is gaining more advancement that scientist can already see the difference between the brain networking especially those learners who are incline doing instrumental field especially string instruments and to those individuals who are studying piano intensely. Most of the educators have stated that even thou without this formal research that been conducted there are still assured that art education can provide self-confidence in excelling their academics especially in the field of math.


We’ve had a very exciting week in 5/6B! For the first time, students were allowed to bring their Nintendo DS to school for use in Literacy.
We’ve laid down a few rules:
1. DSs are for use before school, during class for specific activities, and for wet day timetables.
2. No DSs outside.
3. Students bring DSs at own risk but the DSs are locked away by the teacher until they are needed, to minimise risk to them.
4. We use the DSs for playing to learn.
5. No inappropriate (for school) games.
6. If you do not have a DS you do not have to go out and buy one! (I have a DS and 3DS that I lend to students).
Our first session using the DSs was very experimental. I made a table that students needed to fill out while they played different games so that we could compare and contrast them later. Students were required to record the title, main characters and object of the game. Some where able to complete this section before getting into the game play as they had played it many times before, or because they characters were so well known (eg Mario Kart). Others took quite some time to get the names of the characters as they were playing an unfamiliar game and needed time to explore the narrative of the game a bit.
Next, students were asked to list the Literacy and Numeracy skills they discovered they were using during gameplay. Our grade does reflections on our learning as an everyday part of our Literacy Rotations and are able to identify their learning in a number of activities, but I found that they struggled to do this when playing DS, even with their experiences with using Lure of the Labyrinth in Maths. With a little bit of questioning from me, students had ‘aha’ moments as they connected their actions with a Literacy or Numeracy concept.
With about 20 minutes to go in the session, I asked students to put down the DSs and move onto the design section of their table. They were asked to design a new cover for the game, using some of the features we learned about when creating persuasive texts. They then had to write a 4 sentence blurb suitable for the back cover of the game. Students got their novels out of their tubs to have a look at how a blurb is constructed and what language would capture the interest of a potential buyer in a store.
This was a great way to introduce DSs to our Literacy Rotations, as students immediately began linking gameplay with their learning. The table they had to fill out provide them with guidelines for their thinking and gave them a goal to achieve within the time restrictions. They located sources of ideas and examples from around them, borrowed my iPad to check their spelling or find a word definition, and grabbed the netbooks if they needed some background on the game for their back cover.
A great start to this trial at our school. I’m not sure where to head to next though – I want to stay away from level design at this stage as I would like to do that activity with the whole class at once. At this stage I will repeat the same activity but students must choose another game to ‘review’, and then the following activity will involve comparing and contrasting the two games.


DBAE stands for Discipline Based Art Education. The meaning of discipline in this context is not “a firm hand” or trying to control behavior, but rather a branch of study. DBAE has been around decades and was developed by the Getty Institute.
The branches of study or disciplines being explored through this approach to arts education are: art production, art criticism, art history, and aesthetics. Meaningful art lessons should include one or more of these branches of study. Art production is generally the main component of most art lessons. Including an art history component or critical thinking strategy to an art lesson will have dynamic results. I list what DBAE components can be found in my lessons, but my lessons can be adapted to the educator’s curricular needs.


Early childhood experts say parents and educators should embrace digital devices for learning and play to ensure children are prepared for the future.
Academics and educators converged on a national early childhood learning conference in Darwin this week, and exposure to digital technology was being spruiked as essential for child development.
US-based academic Dr Chip Donohue said while it was important to recognise not all parents and teachers were on board, it was essential they “don’t stand still”.
“The digital age is moving far too fast to say ‘I choose to not engage’,” he said.
“These are tools of the children’s world, these are tools of their culture, these are tools that will be critical for their school readiness and success, we don’t have a choice to say ‘we choose not to’.”
Dr Donohue said the phrase “screen time” was outdated, as was the thinking that “too much” screen time was unhealthy.
“But I think we have to have a richer thought about that.
“What’s the content the child is learning from on the device, what’s the context in which they’re using it and do they have the opportunity to interact with others, those are also really critical metrics beyond just time.”
Balancing digital life is ‘same as a healthy diet’
Childhood education researcher at Charles Sturt University, specialising in technology, Dr Kate Highfield, agreed when technology was used appropriately it could enhance development.
“We’re not talking about overuse of the device, we’re talking about using it in balance. It’s the same as the idea of a healthy diet, where we just use a little bit of digital play, a lot of physical play,” she said.
She said Australia had seen a huge rise in the use of technologies for young children in the past decade.
“We’ve moved away from the ‘do we use or not use’, into ‘how do we use this appropriately’,” Dr Highfield said.
Empowering parents to become “media mentors” for their kids was also a focus of Dr Donohue’s work.
“We know for sure, we have research that shows us, joint engagement with media, the idea of a parent sitting with a child and having a shared media experience, enhances the learning for the child,” he said.
Dr Highfield said the event was showcasing the way digital technology could merge with children’s play and education tools.
“[On display are] new and emerging tools [which will] move us away from a screen into more tangible interfaces, so we’ve got some robotics there … a number of tools where the child can create and design their own technologies or create new ways of interfacing with the technology,” she said.
Technology is helpful for exercise, not a hindrance: expert
Dr Donohue said concerns about kids developing health issues from inactivity were legitimate, but said the uptake of technology was not to blame.
“I would prefer to think about how we use these technology tools to encourage kids to go outside, to use an app that takes them out for a scavenger hunt around their neighbourhood and finds things, and identifies things and learns about things,” he said.
Sydney preschool teacher and director, Michelle Healy, said her centre had worked to integrate technology and learning by giving the children camera and tablets to document their play.
“Digital technology is certainly here to stay, most of them are holding a smart phone as soon as they’re old enough to … so rather than fighting that, we’re trying to enhance their use of it in a really productive way,” she said.
In her experience, parents of the three to five-year-olds, were embracing the approach that using technology with thought and purpose was beneficial.
“I think there’s deep consciousness amongst the parents that I work with, that they don’t want their children to have too much screen time, but using it in a constructive way, they’re really embracing it and utilising it themselves in the home as well,” she said.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
© 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. Read the ABC Disclaimer here.


Framing Research is targeted at individuals or small teams of educational researchers who are interested in conducting high quality research addressing the effects of technology-enhanced instruction on student learning. The book summarizes and unpacks the methodologies of a variety of research studies, each situated in the context of school subject areas, such as science, mathematics, social studies, and English/language arts, as well as in the contexts of reading education, special education, and early childhood learning. Taken together, the analyses provide guidance on the design of future technology research grounded in student learning of K-12 curriculum. The conclusions also serve as a tool for teacher educators seeking to prepare teachers to integrate technology effectively in their instruction and to motivate reluctant teachers to overcome perceived inconveniences connected
with technology use.
This book is contributed to the series by the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education through its collaborative work with the National Technology Leadership Coalition.


Music is a superb healer and educator, too. Since human civilization developed, music has been a fundamental element of life. Through music a lot of things may be accomplished. Music exists in all strolls of life on all events. Lullabies, birthday sounds, wedding songs, spiritual prayers, solemn situations like mourning, countrywide anthems, etc.- there’s a song for each and every occasion. So, from delivery till last breathing, there may be music present everywhere you go. Befitting to the, child music education can be an important field. This implies instructing music to children from a get older simply, the earlier the better. Children must be prompted to develop hobbies and interests.
Hobbies shall improve children?s creativity, talents, intelligence, aptitude and attitude. Among other hobbies, music is particularly useful in developing these qualities in children. Parents need to encourage the talents latent in their children and help them to build up and use them. Research has turned out that music education comes with an almost astonishing result, on children especially. Their young minds are ever-receptive which is our duty to spread the right message to them. Not just that, as elders, of today we have to cultivate culture among the kids, of tomorrow who’ll be the residents. Music education develops self-confidence and a good attitude in kids, to allow them to excel in school, life, their social circle and the society most importantly. Teenage violence, hostility, melancholy, psychic problems ? all these can be manipulated and reduced through music education remarkably.
[Do not forget to read: Teacher Education and Teacher Quality]
It is about time that conscientious initiatives are created to acknowledge not only the melody of music, but its intrinsic value in refining and fine-tuning our kids also?s character. Quite simply, music education should be included as a normal course of research, than being optional rather.


Print Versions of Modules
You’ll need Adobe Reader to view and print these versions of the online modules. Enjoy!
Earn CARES credit by going on Learning Adventures and completing the Self-Study guides. Each fully completed guide qualifies for CARES hours.
Preschool Learning Foundations
The purpose of California's Preschool Learning Foundations is to provide the child development field with research-based competencies—knowledge and skills—that we can expect most children to exhibit in a quality program as they complete their first or second year of preschool.
On the Go
The “On the Go” materials include 14 activities designed to be used outside the home: in the car, while walking, during bus rides, etc. The activities encourage early language and literacy development from birth through preschool. They are appropriate for children with disabilities as well as children who are developing typically.
Whole Child Education
The Whole Child Web site supports the work of The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) to support a broader definition of achievement and accountability that promotes the development of children who are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. The Web site includes resources, tools, and an online community.
Why Do Kids Run and Jump?
Exchange Every Day, an organization dedicated to the exchange of ideas among leaders in early childhood programs, explores the issue of “taking play seriously” on this Web page.


Our Lady and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Curriculum Statement
As a Catholic school, Christ is at the centre of everything we do. We believe that every child is unique, made in the image and likeness of God; our aim is to develop each child’s full potential. Our school values of love, respect, hope, justice and forgiveness underpin the curriculum.
We are proud of the rich and varied curriculum that we offer, which enables all children to excel in Reading, Writing, Maths and Science, as well as develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in all aspects of the curriculum. It enables our children to develop the school’s learning behaviours of creativity, resilience, teamwork, questioning, independence and responsibility.
Our curriculum follows the National Curriculum (2014); we enhance this through the entitlements or experiences we plan for each key stage throughout the year. Each Key Stage has a topic for the half term which is supported by quality literacy texts. KS1 curriculum is planned over two years and KS2 over four years.
We believe that our children should work as hard as the staff. The morning curriculum is carefully timetabled to optimise learning time. This year we are working towards children making more choices about their afternoon learning. In the first half of the topic, children are taught knowledge and skills for the topic and in the second half children have the opportunity to apply those skills and explore their learning further, choosing what aspects they want to study and how to present their work. The teacher should become the facilitator of learning, enabling children to take ownership of their learning.
Through everything they do in school, our children develop a strong sense of moral purpose in addition to a respect and understanding of people who have different characteristics to themselves including age, disability, gender, race or sexuality. All children are taught RE through the Come and See programme.
The school has strong and positive relationships with the wider community, including our partner schools within the St. Pius Catholic Learning community and James Montgomery Multi Academy Trust based in Wath. Links between home, school and our parish community, are also significant and central to our mission to serve the Church and create the family feeling of ‘belonging’.
To find out more about our curriculum, please contact the school for our subject policies.
On behalf of all the governors and staff we welcome you to Our Lady and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. If your child is about to join us for the first time, we welcome you warmly as parents and look forward to a happy and successful relationship over the coming years. If you already have a child at our school, we are pleased to continue the links between us.


Learning about first aid techniques is key. This 4-H activity sheet delves into the importance of safety while engaging in recreational activities.
17 Views 32 Downloads
4-H Line and Design Advanced Leader's Page
Incorporate 21st century graphic design skills into an advanced line and design activity worksheet. 4-H'ers will have a blast using a computer graphics program to re-create an image, unscrambling design terms and matching them with...
5th - 7th English Language Arts
Exploring Emotions Through Activities
You'll definitely want this rich compilation of worksheets and activities in your toolbelt as you review and discuss the range of emotions we have as human beings. Activities include defining feelings, identifying ways we express...
3rd - 8th Health CCSS: Adaptable
Fact and Opinion: Danger Online
Reinforce reading comprehension strategies and offer online safety tips with an informational text detailing the importance of safe internet use. After reading, scholars show what they know by answering four multiple choice questions and...
6th English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable


A future self-educated businessman, Billa Flint was born February 9, 1805 at a place called Elizabethtown. It was a small community later to be renamed Brockville. His parents were Billa Flint Sr., and Phebe Wells.
Billa became a businessman and political figure in Ontario. After completing only a few basic years of elementary education, Billa left school before the age of 11. He then worked at his father’s hotel, in the position of clerk.
On September 10, 1827, Billa Flint married Phoebe Sawyer Clement. Their wedding took place at the home of her parents Philip Clement and Elizabeth Ann Bancroft. Phoebe had been born about 1810 in Massachusetts, in the United States.
Billa believed that alcoholic drinks were not to be consumed. Such beverages were sold at his father’s hotel in Brockville. It was for this reason that Billa chose to move to Belleville, Ontario in 1829, where he shortly founded a temperance society. That same year, Billa also began his own business.
In 1836 he was appointed magistrate and later became president of the Board of Police. He stood for election to the Legislative Assembly in 1847. Successful in his bid to represent Hastings, he ran again and was elected in 1854. Billa was successful in running for a third political term in office, in 1863. He served in the Legislature until Confederation in 1867, whereupon he was appointed to the Senate.
Additionally he was mayor of Belleville in 1866 and served over twenty years on the council for Hastings County. In business, Billa’s interests expanded to include the harvesting and sale of timber. He operated warehouses for the storage and transportation of goods. Known as a man of strong opinions and ideas, Billa Flint was also a man of high energy who endlessly promoted his community.
Phoebe Sawyer (Clement) Flint died on May 24, 1886 at Belleville. Billa Flint died on June 15, 1894 in Ottawa, Ontario.


When I think of Halloween, images of jack-o-lanterns, black cats, ghosts, and skeletons pop into my head. The kids thoughts turn to costumes and candy. They start thinking about Halloween and getting excited about it as fall sets in and the temperatures drop. As a homeschool mom, I always try to capitalize on things that get the kids excited and tailor our studies accordingly.
Related post: 12 Haunted Science For Kids
This year, my son is studying Human Anatomy and Physiology with Apologia science. As we move on through the curriculum, I like to go back and review what we have learned to be sure that he actually retained something. Since Halloween is coming, I thought this would be the perfect time to review what we learned in our skeletal system module.
We are using human skeleton printables that feature a review of the major bones in the human skeleton, a fill-in-the-blank page, and a build-your-own skeleton. It’s a great way to review, or learn, the names of the bones and where they are in the body.
You can get your own by filling out the form below and the download link will be sent to you!
For More Skeletal System Resources…


By Art Menius – September 9, 2014
I believe that our various artistic traditions express a common human thread unifying all people. As the audiences learn about other cultures bridges to understanding are built. They will see how folk music contributes to understanding different traditions and building civil society.
When NEH Chairman Jim Leach asked, “We have a unique national culture with a mosaic of subcultures. A critical question is whether we treat our many cultural differences with dignity and respect and as opportunities to grow and learn, or as divisive traumas worthy of warring over.”
Marginalized cultures generally do not have great access to public forums, but traditional artists from these same cultures can achieve such access, and in doing so, speak for their communities through their art. Their work contains the “mirror effect” that reflects to the outside world the mores of the cultures in which they originated.
“Folk art is important to society because it portrays social and historical aspects of areas or times that changed or lost. Folk artists are often barometers of the popular culture. In most cases, folk artists engage in depicting socially familiar ideas and themes in their art,” wrote Simone Alter Muri (“Folk Art and Outsider Art: Acknowledging Social Issues in Art Education,” Art Education 52:4 (July 1999). Muri argued that the traditional arts fostered social awareness; building tolerance for diversity and helping children understand community.
Whether music, food, or crafts, the folk arts do not happen in a vacuum. The fretless banjo asks us to wonder where the instrument came from and when. When we understand that the banjo originally came from West Africa, it asks us to look closely at the history of immigration. When we know the history of Native Americans in the southern Appalachians, it asks us to look closely at the various crafts and architecture that typifies the Appalachian homesteads and communities. Scots-Irish mountaineers learned to build chimneys from Native Americans who learned from French trappers. Embroidered Mexican scarves/napkins, used to wrap and carry tortillas on journeys of desert immigration embody contemporary issues.
The key becomes how to draw people out of their silos and let them see the connection that inspired me 40 years ago – that moment of revelation when I realized that living Piedmont bluesman John Jackson and long deceased 1920s string band leader Charlie Poole were playing out of the same common repertoire.
I have an especial interest in connecting the folklore, ethnomusicology, and the humanities to musical performance by master musicians, what folklorist Carl von Sydow called “active” tradition-bearers. I envision residencies with active tradition bearers demonstrating and teaching in partnership with a variety of humanities experts. Audiences will not just learn about the outcomes produced by humanities scholarship, but will understand how its disciplines shed light on the human condition.
The tradition bearer will gain from both the association with new audiences and from the attention of the students and scholars. Working with them as teachers will provide new insights in the humanities, their work, and their home communities. Gregory Hansen (“Folklife in Education and Cultural Conservation” (1994) described this from his six years work bringing traditional artists into Jacksonville, Florida schools:
Cultural expressions that the tradition-bearers felt were devalued within their own communities were showcased in the classroom presentations, and the tradition-bearers appreciated the opportunity to share their history and culture with young people. All of the folk artists and musicians whom I interviewed perceived that the school presentations were not only helping to preserve their culture but the sessions also encouraged outsiders’ appreciation of their traditions.
In this sense, both artists and the art they practice reflect and create community and serve as its teachers.
[Photo by Becky Johnson]


Math and science are responsible for the advances that make modern life possible.
They're also a lot of fun for kids to explore. And an interest in those subjects now leads to a promising future.
Career prospects are bright for those in the so-called STEM fields. That stands for science, technology, engineering and math. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that jobs in these fields will grow 17 percent from 2008 to 2018, faster than every sector except health care.
"That's where the economy is going," says James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition. "In order to get almost any job in the economy, you need these skills."
And STEM workers don't just include number-crunching mathematicians and scientists scurrying around labs in white coats. This category also includes people who work in architecture and manufacturing. Plus, adults who get jobs in STEM fields or students who choose them as college majors tend to command higher salaries than the average worker.
Does your child's future lie in STEM?
It just might, if something sparks his interest. Kids' inborn curiosity leads them to want to know more about how the world works.
"We are natural problem-solvers when we're born into this world," says Tony Murphy, director of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program. "We build things and we knock them down, and we build them again."
Obstacles for Kids in Science
But most kids lose their fascination in these subjects as they get older. Researchers have found that one-third of students lose interest in science by fourth grade. Another 17 percent lose it middle school.
Much of the reason for this lost interest can be found in the way teachers are trained, says Murphy, former executive director of the National Center for STEM Elementary Education at St. Catherine University. College-level elementary education programs are designed to prepare teachers how to educate children from kindergarten through sixth grade. With such a large range of developmental stages in those grades, aspiring teachers don't get much training in how to teach science in an engaging way, Murphy says.
Another problem is that most schools' curricula emphasize reading and math more than technology and engineering, Brown says. The tests that students are required to take in public schools assess how well they do in basic subjects, which leave less time for teachers to have fun teaching about science and technology.
And many kids and parents have mistaken beliefs about jobs in STEM fields. Say the word "engineer" to a lot of children, and they'll think of someone who drives a train. And Eric Darr, interim president of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, notes that many girls think math and science aren't suited for females. Visitors to his college in Pennsylvania are often surprised to learn that more than half the students are women.
Fun While Learning
The lack of resources in many schools and the misconceptions people have about the STEM fields means you might have to put some extra effort into encouraging your kids to explore them. But it will be worth the effort if it sparks your child's curiosity.
Libraries. Learning doesn't have to cost money. Next time you take your children to the library, encourage them to borrow books about subjects that interest them. Maybe they'd like to know more about the cicada shell you found in the park or how to make paper airplanes fly farther.
Museums. Check out museums near your home and in cities you visit on vacation. Marvel at a planetarium show or walk through a life-size model of the human heart. Take the kids to special traveling exhibits.
Local colleges. Science and engineering departments at colleges – from community colleges to big-name universities – often host day-long programs for families to learn while having fun. Harrisburg University, for example, organized an event about the science behind making chocolate.
Summer camps. Does your child take apart the electronics in your house? She might love a computer camp. A kid who captures the toads in your yard would have fun during a summer program at the local zoo.
After-school clubs. A lot of schools have clubs for kids to have fun practicing science. Kids can work together to build robots or plant a garden.
Professional websites. Whether your child is interested in chemistry, physics, math, computers or weather, there are professional associations for adults who work in those fields. Brown says most of their websites have resources for parents.
Science, engineering, technology and math are the keys to many of the jobs of the future. But these subjects also offer kids plenty of opportunity to have fun while learning. Encourage your kids to explore their interest in how the world works, and you might just lead them to their lifelong passion.


Experts explain how you can separate fads, scams, and myths from real and reliable information when it comes to products, programs, and health care for your children. Learn how to tell if information found online is reliable and supported by scientific evidence.
As your child’s first and strongest advocate, you need to be able to make informed decisions regarding products, programs, interventions, or even health care that potentially affect your child’s spoken and written language development. Below are questions for you to ask yourself as you try to determine what is a fad or scam, what might be a myth, and what is the real deal.
Show Me the Data!
Fads, scams, and myths all share one common theme: They are statements made without much or any scientific evidence. Sometimes it may seem as if a product or procedure has scientific evidence, given the type of description used for, or the statements made about, the product or procedure. However, just like you do for anything else in your child’s life, such as new medicines or new approaches to treating certain illnesses, you want to make sure there is some evidence or data to suggest the product or procedure actually leads to the outcomes you desire.
What is evidence?
Evidence comes in many forms. When we think about evidence, we think about the results of well-designed, well-implemented scientific investigations that have been published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals. When the outcomes of a study are published in a journal after being reviewed by other scientists, it demonstrates that the data are important and worthy of distribution.
The tricky point about relying on scientific evidence is that individuals who promote certain products or procedures may report they have published evidence to back up their statements. They may even attach copies of scientific papers that support their claims on their websites. The catch is that sometimes these papers are not actually journal articles from peer-reviewed journals; instead, they are papers (sometimes called “white papers”) published by the promoters themselves. These can be misleading, often because they look very authentic, impressive, and, in fact, scientific.
So, how does a parent decide whether the paper is truly from a scientific journal or self-published? Look at the first page of the paper. Does it list the name of a journal, a volume number, and the page numbers? If yes, then it likely is a publication from a journal. One quick way to confirm that is to simply put the name of the journal into your Internet search engine and view the outcome. For example, say you read about a new instructional procedure to help improve children’s literacy skills that seems to make sense. The professionals discussing the procedure provide a list of references to back up their statements, and one of the articles discussed is in the journal called, Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. You could simply put that title into your search engine, and you would find that the first link to come up is this: http://lshss.asha.org. Further, you would find under the ‘About LSHSS’ section that this is peer-reviewed journal. Voila! You now have more confidence that the evidence the professionals discuss for this procedure is backed by science and thus more trustworthy.
The MART Strategy
Use this strategy to help you become a critical consumer:
M is for Motivation. When you hear an individual presenting a new product or procedure, or read about it via a website, ask yourself: What is the individual’s motivation? Is this person attempting to share new research that points to the use of that particular product or procedure, or is he trying to sell the product solely for personal gain? If it is the latter, you should wonder whether you are buying into a fad or scam.
A is for Activity Level. Ask yourself: Is this person a researcher herself, or part of a research team? And is her research in the same area as this product or procedure? If there is little published literature, is this person at least attempting to collect data to support her claims? These questions help us to make decisions about the product or procedure by determining whether there is a scientific process occurring.
R is for Reputable Resources. Does the person making the claims provide specific sources of information to back up those claims, such as articles in peer-reviewed journals? Sometimes individuals back up their claims via testimonials. Such testimonials are highly at risk of being biased and, frankly, bought.
T is for Theory. Does this product or procedure match how we know children learn language or literacy? Question products or procedures that seem to counter what you know about children’s development.
The above article was reprinted with permission from BEYOND BABY TALK: From Speaking to Spelling: A Guide to Language and Literacy Development for Parents and Caregivers Copyright © 2012 by The American Speech-Learning-Hearing Association. Published by Three Rivers Press, a division of Random House, Inc.


Xu Beihong 徐悲鸿 (1895-1953), a painter and fine art educator in modern China, was famous for his work of figure, animals and plants. He praised highly of realism, and promoted the integration of western style skills into traditional Chinese painting. Xu Beihong put great emphasize on light, composition, and modeling. For figure painting, he was expert at depicting the precise skeleton structure and at enriching his work’s ideological content, which exerted significant influence on the china’s fine art industry at that time.
Born in poverty, Xu Beihong learned classic Chinese works and calligraphy from his father who was a teacher good at poem and painting. The hard life enriched Xu Beihong’s social experiences and broadened his art view. Thanks to his outstanding performance in art, Xu Beihong was then funded to study abroad in Japan, France and German, thus able to incorporate the essence of both eastern and western painting into his own style. At the end of his trip in Europe, he also visited Belgium, Italy and Swiss, and was deeply inspired by the famous European artists.
At the age of 32, Xu Beihong went back to China and started his fine art education career. His work of oil painting and Chinese ink was highly appreciated at that time, due to his perfect integration of Chinese brush and ink techniques with Western perspective and methods of composition. Lots of his most famous work reflected the changing society of China.
The Self Portrait (1922) has a full composition, with a loosely rendered white horse in the background, which reflected Chinese freehand ink brush painting. Xu Beihong arranged light and shade by utilizing active western crosshatching. The sharp details and highlighted areas of selectively aplite white chalk well depicted his facial features. From my point of view, this self-portrait is very realistic although with bold sketching, since his eye sight seemed to direct at the viewer.
The Six Galloping Horses (1942) is one of Xu Beihong’s most famous works. In this large Chinese brush painting of six galloping horses, the artist’s expertise and incredible imagination were illustrated by the creative compositional arrangement and the control of ink.
Xu Beihong: Pioneer of Modern Chinese Painting


Viewpoint: A New Equation
My intent in so brashly taking on one of the lingering pillars of basic elementary education is neither to be unduly confrontational nor impishly irresponsible. I am not seeking to wrap myself in the banner of radical reformers nor to stir up the fundamentalists. Rather, my purpose is to raise an issue that is not going to disappear. It's an issue that must be discussed openly and honestly and then resolved swiftly and clearly if we are to realize our aspirations for truly worldclass schools.
First, let's clarify exactly what is being proposed. This is not about reducing emphasis on one-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. These facts and the self-confidence that comes with their mastery are more important than ever. Nor is this about abandoning computation, which remains an indispensable part of the mathematics program, so long as it is done mentally, with a calculator, or via estimates. It is about the formal, paper-and-pencil computational algorithms that constitute the core grade school mathematical experiences of most American youngsters. It's about mindless procedures such as "carrying threes into the tens column,'' "six times seven is 42, put down two and carry the four,'' and "eight from two, can't do, cross out the five, make it a four, and borrow 10.'' It's also about memorized rules-- such as "yours is not to reason why, just invert and multiply''--that, for most students, meaninglessly enter one ear and leave the other.


In the twentieth century, the Russian Soviet composer and educator D. B. Kabalevsky (1904–1987) was one of the most significant arts educators and advocate. Kabalevsky’s life spanned most of the major events that marked twentieth century Russian and Soviet history. As a composer, Kabalevsky is closely associated with Khachaturian, Khrennikov, Prokofiev and Shostakovich. As a music educator, his contribution stands alongside Kodály, Orff, Suzuki and Dalcroze. Like each of these composers, Kabalevsky left a rich and incisive legacy of compositions and writings. His compositions ranged from symphonies, concertos, operas and ballets through to songs and piano works for children.
Kabalevsky was an articulate composer and educator. He could identify an issue and clearly demonstrate how to deal with it musically and educationally. Kabalevsky the educator, artist, philosopher, politician and administrator was able to bring together the many aspects of his life for the promotion and development of the future generations of his country and humanity more generally. There are many dimensions of Kabalevsky’s extraordinary life, and the inherent interrelationships between the various aspects of his work and life are clearly demonstrated in his writings. They provide us with a great deal to consider and ponder, particularly as we apply some of the thinking to our own practice.
|Keywords:||Kabalevsky, Music for Children, Arts Education|
Associate Professor of Music Education, School of Education, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia


- Foundational Skills
Spelling instruction begins with phonics and phonemic awareness, two major components in reading instruction. Through spelling, students draw on their knowledge of letter and sound relationships and they can begin to decode and encode words.
Throughout the primary grades, students become familiar with basic spelling patterns, like the CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) pattern. As students progress into upper elementary grades and middle school, they are exposed to more complex patterns, such as root words and affixes.
How to teach: Spelling TestMe can be used as a pretest to identify which words students need to practice, as a practice test before a graded test, or as a formative assessment.
Each word is read aloud and presented in context. Students have the opportunity to listen again by clicking on the “Word” and “Sentence” buttons. Before the final submission, students have the option of reviewing their words. When words are submitted, the test is immediately graded. Students receive immediate feedback on words spelled correctly and incorrectly. Students have the opportunity to further practice their misspelled words.
Teaching Tip: Spelling TestMe allows for differentiated spelling instruction. Teachers can assign different spelling words for students and assess them at the end of the week using Spelling TestMe. It automates the assessment process, generating and grading tests.
1. Take Test
2. Review Words
3. See Results Including Errors
4. Practice Challenging Words Until Proficient


role of Scottsdale Mexican Americans
Skimming the pages of black-and-white photos that fill Jose Maria Burruel's
inaugural book feels at first like looking through an old family album.
But read deeper and you'll find the many faces - young and old - against the
retro Scottsdale sights in Burruel's "Mexicans in Scottsdale" (Arcadia
Publishing, 2007) are more than just a collection of memories.
These people, Burruel said, helped make Scottsdale what it is today.
Yet, Burruel said, not many know anything about them.
"The Mexicans who helped Scottsdale and ensured its survival have been
totally marginalized by other authors," said Burruel, a retired academic,
who in 1990 decided to start documenting the photos and stories of his
fellow Mexican Americans so others can learn of their long-standing
"I wanted to validate their contributions to the development and sustainment
of Scottsdale," he said.
Burruel, a lifelong Arizonan and longtime Scottsdale resident, was born in
the area now known as Scottsdale in 1925.
He was the youngest of three children born to Mexican-born parents Carmen
Valenzuela de Burruel and Jose Maria Burruel Sr. Burruel never knew his
father. He died in a smelter accident in the then copper mining town of
Hayden, Ariz., just before Carmen gave birth.
Burruel describes the early days of Scottsdale in the 1900s as a "Mexican
He said the area, known for its fruit and cotton farmland, was mainly
populated by Mexican workers migrating from northern Mexico and southern
"They were the first people to live in the neighborhood that now makes up
the center of Old Scottsdale," said Burruel, in his book, of the
quarter-mile strip of land known as the "Eskatel Barrio" that he and other
Mexican Americans called home.
Burruel said before Eskatel Barrio area real estate was sold to these new
Mexican immigrants, "Mexican farm workers had lived on the farmer's property
in makeshift tents."
Burruel said he interviewed a dozen families, documenting their stories and
collecting their photos.
His wife, Frances, who collaborated with him on the book's research, said
she was inspired by these people, many of whom left Mexico for Arizona
during the Mexican Revolution.
"They were pioneers entering into the unknown, strong and determined to make
a new life here," Frances said.
The book mentions a number of early Scottsdale Mexican Americans ranging
from the Corrals, who opened and still run Los Olivos restaurant, to Don
Miguel Ochoa, who had a wash in the Scottsdale Mountain Preserve named after
him for being one of the area's pioneers.
Burruel himself became a local success story. After returning from the U.S.
Navy as a disabled veteran in the late 1940s, he went on to earn a
bachelor's degree in elementary education from Arizona State University,
where he later returned to earn his Ph.D.
South Carolina-based Arcadia Publishing contacted Burruel at the suggestion
of the Arizona Historical Foundation, to put his research in book form.
Burruel said he thinks the book, distributed throughout Scottsdale's
schools, is one of a kind.
He said documenting the immigrants' stories in print and on video was a
mission he couldn't give up on.
"Their accomplishments needed to be recorded," he said.
Proceeds from some of the book sales will be donated to the Old Adobe
Mission Church in Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Prevention Institute.


You can order a custom research paper on numeracy from Paper Masters. Here is a sample introduction.
Numeracy is human ability to both reason and apply basic mathematical concepts, such as addition and subtraction. A basic possession of numeracy allows the individual to comprehend such notions as 2+2=4. Other aspects of numeracy include geometry, computation, number sense and statistics.
- First, humans can grasp approximate representation, such as estimating.
- Second, humans can understand precise representations of items.
Basic Numeracy Skills
Basic numeracy skills allow the individual to grasp concepts such as time, identifying numbers, and performing basic arithmetic. More advanced numeracy skills involve understanding ratios, analytical skills and statistical understanding. It is believed that a child’s socioeconomic status has significant impact on the development of numeracy, as such environments produce engaging activities that enhance learning. Parents with higher levels of education tend to mentally stimulate their children with far greater frequency, which enhances numeracy.
Douglas Hofstadter coined the term innumeracy to refer to a person’s inability to reason with numbers, similar to illiteracy. Some people of normal intelligence are unable to grasp some basic arithmetical skills, and are said to suffer from dyscalculia, similar to dyslexia, but with math.


Students use coordinates to write instructions for each other to draw shapes and pictures. Higher-order thinking (application, synthesis) and social interaction make for a fun math session!
Draw and color a picture based on the poem.
|Many students make a comic strip for this imagery activity.|
To provoke this inquiry into similarities, differences, challenges, and opportunities in different cultures through history, I set out this kit of replica archaeological artifacts. Then, I invited students to write their ideas with whiteboard markers on the posted questions. Sometimes, the concrete should stimulate the conceptual.
We went to the Railway Museum in Saitama City. It was one of the best field trips I’ve ever taken with a class. Incredible exhibits and lots of hands-on activities. Perfect for our inquiry into human energy usage. Learned two important lessons for excursions:
1. Take the whole day and expect to move slowly. Plan extra time for everything, then expect it to take even longer.
2. If you want your kids to explore a particular part of the museum during free time, take them there, then set them loose. Don’t expect them to find it on their own.
This interactive exhibit lets you control a real train motor, wheel, and brake system!
I must be getting old, because I was most interested in seats. Here’s a picture of me traveling back in time sitting on a tatami seat from 1902.
While reading Gerhard Fischer’s Understanding, Fostering, and Supporting Cultures of Participation, I was transported back in time to my semester abroad in Nepal in 1996 when I was immersed in a foreign culture for the first time and inundated with fifteen units of Anthropology and Cultural Geography classes. In the shadow of Mt Nilgiri, we often debated individualism versus collectivism or the importance of the self versus the importance of the group.
Every discussion reached a similar conclusion, surprisingly quickly considering the effects of altitude on alcohol tolerance: A person both supports and is supported by a community.
In fact, from an anthropologist’s perspective, that is how humans survived and thrived for hundreds of thousands of years. Knowledge was not a commodity, it was a right. Innovation was embraced and shared. The modern education system is not based on such concepts. It is generally authoritarian, bureaucratic, and militaristic. And it is obsolete. In it’s current state, it can only perpetuate problems. That’s why teachers must be anthropologists.
I mean it quite literally. Anthropology and elementary education share every characteristic except one. Anthropologists wish not to influence their ethnographic subjects; educators specifically do want to influence our students. In order to make good decisions about how to guide children’s learning, teachers need to objectively observe and assess society to filter ‘everything’ into comprehensible units for kids. It’s a daunting challenge, and I wonder if students wouldn’t be better off filtering for themselves anyway?!
At least I can say that learning to see your students through an ethnographic lens will certainly make you a better teacher.
Movements like Genius Hour, the Maker Movement, Social Creativity, and Open-Learning, and achievement badges are some of the first bells to toll for our stagnant system of so-called learning. They are wrestling control of learning away from schools to give it back to learners where it belongs, and they provide exactly the kinds of authentic content elementary teachers should curate for students.
In Fischer’s article, he describes metadesign. Metadesigners, in my interpretation, design systems which empower users to create their own designs. MIT Media Lab’s Scratch is a great example, as it visually represents elements of code, allowing the user virtually limitless possibilities for creation, while at the same time learning concepts coding. The same idea can be applied to any system, from YouTube to Wikipedia, provided it meets certain criteria for openness and adaptability. Metadesigners recognize that everyone has brilliance within them and help to unlock it.
Let’s become metateachers. Instead of imparting knowledge, let’s create and develop environments in which children can acquire it through inquiry. Let’s frame inquiries with concepts which can be interconnected and applied universally. Prioritize emotional and social understanding to nurture collaboration and empathy. Find resources and experts who would ignite our students’ passions. Let’s design systems of learning which empower learners to design their own learning.


Early Childhood Education
Through most of American history, all early childhood education was provided at home since school systems did not assume any responsibility to educate children prior to first grade. The situation began to change during the second half of the 19th century, as a variety of kindergarten programs emerged to prepare preschool-aged children for socialization and the beginning of elementary school learning and as federal legislation addressed the needs of children with disabilities. This entry describes the scope of legislative and agency efforts in these areas.
Until recent years, most states did not require kindergarten programs. However, some states have enacted laws that require children to attend kindergarten prior to entering standard elementary education. At the same time, legislative efforts have been initiated at both the federal and state levels to require some form of early childhood education. Some states are even seeking to make full-day kindergarten a requirement. Insofar as sociologists and psychologists have been able to demonstrate that a structured learning environment better prepares children for education, there have been attempts to force states to require not only kindergarten programs but also structured preschool programs of varying length and duration.
Federally, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (sometimes still referred to as Public Law 94–142, indicating that it was the 142nd piece of litigation introduced during the 94th Congress, its designation before being enacted), now the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), provides two specific entitlements under Part H for infants and toddlers: One is access to appropriate early intervention programs, while the other is to provide least restrictive programs and placement. To put the IDEA’s mandates into effect, the federal government requires states to create a statewide system of early intervention services that are appropriate for children. Part B of the IDEA also identifies appropriate special education services that states, though local school boards, must provide for children with disabilities.
As reflected since the U.S. Court’s first-ever case interpreting the statutory rights of students with disabilities at any age, Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley (1982), state and local educational agencies must provide services that result in some educational benefit for eligible children with disabilities. Advocates have interpreted Rowley, consistent with the provisions of the IDEA, as meaning that there must be a process and a professionally defensible individualized family service plan that provides a wide range of services that give opportunity for educational benefits for eligible students.
There are still no clear requirements for early childhood education other than those for some special education students. In recent years, a variety of educational groups encompassing a wide array of perspectives have begun to advocate for more organized education prior to the regular public school systems. The National Parent Teacher Association, for example, has advocated for good-quality early childhood programs that could be made available to children in all socioeconomic classes. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Education has conducted a series of cognitive-development summits, which have welcomed presentations by academicians and other experts on early childhood learning.
The phrase “Good Start, Grow Smart” is the name of the current early childhood initiative that is attempting to strengthen Head Start and partner with states to improve early childhood education and provide better information to teachers, caregivers, and parents across the country. The Department of Health and Human Services is also working to strengthen Head Start and Early Head Start in an attempt to serve children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families. These child-focused programs are designed with the goal of increasing readiness for school among the low-income families. Another initiative, Even Start, is a program that supports projects providing educational services to low-income families. Some of Even Start’s efforts have supported programs for women and children in prison, American Indian tribes and tribal organizations, migrant education, homeless education, and formula grants to states, especially in the area of special education for 3- to 5- year-old children.
The fact that there is a growing call for movement in this regard notwithstanding, the effort to provide comprehensive early childhood education, whether based on state or federal initiatives, has a long way to go to achieve universal implementation for all children.
James P. Wilson
See also Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley; Disabled Persons, Rights of
- Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176 (1982).
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq.


Mathematics Education in Europe - Eurydice Report
In recent years, the issue of competence in mathematics has become increasingly important and has been taken up at the highest policy level. Mathematical competence has been identified as one of the key competences necessary for personal fulfilment, active citizenship, social inclusion and employability in a knowledge society. Moreover, the 2008 'Council Conclusions on preparing young people for the 21st century: an agenda for European cooperation on schools' considers the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills to be the main priority for European cooperation in education.
In the light of these policy developments, this first Eurydice report on mathematics education aims to contribute to European and national debate on how to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and provide support to European cooperation in the field.
"Competence in mathematics has been identified at EU level as one of the key competences for personal fulfilment, active citizenship, social inclusion and employability in the knowledge society of the 21st century. Concerns about low student performance, as revealed by international surveys, led to the adoption in 2009 of an EU-wide benchmark in basic skills which states that 'by 2020 the share of 15-year-olds with insufficient abilities in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15 %'. In order to achieve the target by 2020, we must identify obstacles and problem areas on the one hand and effective approaches on the other. This report, which is a comparative analysis of approaches to mathematics teaching in Europe, aims to contribute to a better understanding of these factors.
The report reviews national policies for reforming mathematics curricula, promoting innovative teaching methods and assessment, and improving teacher education and training. It calls for overarching policies for mathematics education that are based on continuous monitoring, research evidence. It also argues for comprehensive support policies for teachers, a renewed focus on the various applications of mathematical knowledge and problem-solving skills, and for the implementation of a range of strategies to significantly reduce low achievement.
The report also delivers recommendations on how to increase motivation to learn mathematics and encourage the take-up of mathematics-related careers. Many European countries are confronted with
declining numbers of students of mathematics, science and technology, and face a poor gender balance in these disciplines. We need to urgently address this issue as shortages of specialists in mathematics and related fields can affect the competitiveness of our economies and our efforts to overcome the financial and economic crisis.
I am confident that this report, which is based on the latest research and extensive country evidence, will make a timely contribution to the debate on effective mathematics education. It will be of great help to all those concerned with raising the level of mathematical competence of young people in Europe."
You can download the full pdf here: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/132EN.pdf


A former primary school teacher has re-written New Zealand and Maori history in a series of books aimed to better reflect the nation's past.
Tamsin Hanly, who mortgaged her house to fund her writing project, is set to release her six volume history series next month.
She spent four years writing the six volumes, 'A critical guide to Maori and Pakeha histories', after finding the primary school curriculum failed to reflect an accurate version of events.
"There are primary schools in this country who for the first eight years don't teach any history of New Zealand," Ms Hanly, a primary school teacher for 25 years, said.
Others stick to the "standard" or colonial version of history, she said.
"There is no mention of the Treaty, no mention of the two peoples that created it and no history of what happened after."
So she quit teaching and went back to school to complete her masters.
Taking inspiration and insight from the work of historians Dr Ranginui Walker, Michael King, and Professor James Belich, along with University of Auckland academics Professor Anne Salmond and Professor Alison Jones, she developed the six book series.
They form a new Curriculum Programme Resource (CPR) which can be purchased by schools or teachers to form lessons and activities in history and social studies in primary, secondary or early childhood education.
"Its primary job is to update the staff on accurate historical information about what happened in this country so they are then able to teach it accurately to students."
The CPR helps schools meet all the Treaty obligations set by the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Curriculum, she said.
The books take kids through pre-colonisation Maori in New Zealand, British history, the arrival of European settlers to New Zealand, the treaty and both Maori and Pakeha responses to history.
The books will be launched at the University of Auckland's Faculty of Education and Social Work on Friday April 1 at 5pm at the Te Puna Wananga Department.
1. Te Ao Maori o Nehera, covers Maori world views, history and knowledge before their encounters with Pakeha.
2. British Isles, covers European history from the Celts in 50BC through the centuries including the Magna Carta and the history of Abel Tasman and James Cook and the rise in European immigration.
3. Two Worlds Meet, brings the two worlds together in New Zealand. It explains the creation of the names 'Pakeha' and 'Maori' and the rise of European sealers and whalers and the problems in order they caused. The book outlines the Maori declaration of independence in 1835.
4. Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the book explains the Maori and Pakeha pros and cons around a treaty with each other, the agreements, rights and responsibilities made in each Article by the two sovereign groups, the later introduction of a non-literal English version with some different meanings and what happened as a result.
5. In Maori Responses a historical range of Maori civil actions made in response to Tiriti transgressions is covered, from Hone Heke in the 1840s to the Foreshore March in the 2000s and the effects of these on the nation.
6. In Pakeha Responses, there is a comparison to the 'colonial standard story' of history with an honouring Te Tiriti story. The book also critically explores and celebrates the complex aspects of Pakeha culture and histories.


Over 135 Years. 37 Countries. More than 3,000,000 Lives Changed
In 1880 a group of Russian Jews petitioned Czar Alexander II for permission to start a fund to assist Jewish trade schools and establish new colonies, agricultural schools and model farms in order to help lift Russia’s five million Jews out of crushing poverty. The success of the appeal led Russian authorities to create the “Society for Trades and Agricultural Labor,” for Jews of Russia. It is from this original name—Obschestvo Remeslenovo i. Zemledelcheskovo Trouda—that the word ORT is derived.
Farming, tool and industrial cooperatives were formed. Jews were trained as artisans in everything from sewing and handweaving to mechanics and furniture design. ORT became a pioneer in teaching, using new techniques to raise standards, while always giving attention to those with the greatest need. In its first 25 years, ORT provided training to 25,000 Jews in 350 towns within the Russian Empire, vastly improving their quality of life.
Growth & Expansion:
As time marched on, ORT’s training programs evolved to meet the changing needs of Jews as reflected by politics, war and industrialization. After World War I, ORT’s character and focus shifted from Russian Jewry to an organization that linked Jews from across the globe—first in Europe and later on other continents. ORT opened vocational and agricultural schools and encouraged industrial expansion by providing tools and training.
In 1921, the World ORT Union was formally established, followed by the founding of the American ORT Society (forerunner of American ORT) in 1922. As a new chapter began with the proclamation of the State of Israel (May 1948), the country’s gates flung open to Jewish refugees, now immigrants. ORT began operations and created workshops in Jaffa and Jerusalem to rehabilitate and train this influx.
During the second half of the 20th century, American ORT (formed in 1922) and Women’s American ORT (formed in 1927) were established to provide fundraising, and became a vital resource to ORT schools and training programs. Established in 2007, ORT America (a North American affiliate to World ORT) was created through a merger of the two former entities, and collectively raise funds for ORT schools and programs in the United States and around the world.
Now & Beyond:
Today, ORT Works to offer skills and training and to some of the world’s most impoverished communities. With the assistance of its supporters, ORT helps communities meet the demands of a competitive job landscape – now and in the future – through its global network of educational institutions that deliver state-of-the-art education in technology, science and more.