September 30th, 2009 by El Ed Mom

Elementary education is usually thought of as the first section of compulsory education that children undergo. Depending upon how the school district or state defines this, the elementary education period is Kindergarten through fifth grade usually followed by middle school or junior high which is grades 6 – 8. Some systems call for junior high to be 7 – 9 with the elementary grades being K – 6. The school is considered as the children’s second home and their teachers are secondary parents. It is very vital to acknowledge the importance of elementary education. This time children start to learn about the basic ideas that initially come out their mind.

There is a necessity to universalize elementary education. If before, parents do not give much importance to the education of their children, it is of a different thing nowadays. We are living in a world of competition. To give better opportunities for everybody, illiteracy should be eradicated in the society. The challenge for the government today is to make the needed reforms and promote local planning as regards the strategies of motivating the leaders on how to expound and improve primary education in particular. However, several predicaments get higher especially when it deals about the impact of the continuously increasing tuition fees and textbook prices. This is a major reason why parents are discouraged to send their children to school. Their parents at home cannot provide the learning that the students can get from their school.

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September 29th, 2009 by El Ed Mom

Special Education is specialized instruction that is available to children who qualify according to a set of criteria outlined in state and federal law. Special Education services are offered by all public school districts to eligible students from birth to age 22.

Disabilities

There are presently 13 broad areas of disability by which children may qualify for Special Education services. Each has a distinct set of criteria for which a child must meet in order to qualify for services.

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September 28th, 2009 by El Ed Mom

September 25th, 2009 by El Ed Mom

What Do We Mean by Arts Education?

If human beings are to survive, we need all the symbolic forms at our command because they permit us not only to preserve and pass along our accumulated wisdom but also to give voice to the invention of new visions. We need all these ways of viewing the world because no one way can say it all. Charles Fowler Former Director, National Cultural Resources Washington, DC.

The arts are essential parts of the human experience, they are not a frill. We recommend that all students study the arts to discover how human beings communicate not only with words, but through music, dance, and the visual arts. During our visits (to schools) we found the arts to be shamefully neglected. Courses in the arts were the last to come and the first to go. Dr. Ernest Boyer, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

The term arts education has had various meanings throughout the years. Following the lead of both the national standards and the Washington State Essential Learnings, the term arts includes music, dance, drama and visual art. The visual arts and music have traditionally received the lion’s share of attention in education. This report takes the position that all four art disciplines are essential to education and does not favor any one discipline over another.

Since the beginning of a common curriculum for public schools, arts educators have struggled to have the arts taken seriously. Over the years, the arts have assumed the role of promoter of good citizens, accessory to academic subjects, special programs for the gifted or extracurricular activity. In Becoming Knowledge: The Evolution of Art Education Curriculum, Denny Palmer Wolf writes that, “research in arts education has consistently shown that the arts are a distinct form of knowledge requiring sustained and demanding work and yielding kinds of empathy, understanding, and skill both equal to and distinctive from those available in chemistry, civics, or shop.”

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September 24th, 2009 by El Ed Mom

The physical education games that are described in this article can be played at the beginning of gym class as part of a warm exercise, during the period wholly or partially devoted to games or physical education activities or at the end of class as part of cool down exercises.

In addition to the obvious benefits of providing good exercise, combating obesity and developing motor skills, the other skills that I wanted my students to demonstrate when they play these games are co-operation, sportsmanship and enjoyment.

Here are 6 examples of physical education games that my students and I enjoyed.

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September 23rd, 2009 by El Ed Mom

Parents are always looking for free and easy ways to improve their child’s education. School funding plays a big part in the education that your child receives, especially if you are in a smaller school such as a church school or private, independently owned school. There are several school fundraising and fund raiser programs that a parent can participate in that will help with the goal of raising funding for their school. The following paragraphs describe some of the most easy, effortless and popular school fundraising ideas in which parents can participate:

1. Campbell’s Labels for Education — The Campbell’s Labels for Education fundraising campaign has been around for many years and provides large amounts of funding to schools throughout the country each year. The process is simple — simply peel off the labels of your Campbell’s soups and turn them into your school. Your school will then send them in to Campbell’s to redeem them for school funding. Also, did you know that all Campbell’s labels aren’t worth the same amount of money? I found that the Campbell’s line of Chunky Chilis are actually worth 5 soup labels! Campbell’s makes lots of other products that you can turn into your school for funding — it’s not just limited to soups! For more information on the Campbell’s Labels for Education fund raising program and many of the Campbell’s products that are worth funding for your school, visit the Labels for Education website.

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September 22nd, 2009 by El Ed Mom

Eating right and exercising is about more than just looking good. Staying healthy can help you reduce the risk of serious dangers like heart disease, diabetes, strokes and cancer - not to mention give you more energy.

Not everyone is taking care of their bodies. According to the Mayo Clinic, the number of overweight children in America (ages 6 to 11) has doubled in the past two decades. Also, the number of overweight teens has tripled during that time. In total, about 25 million U.S. children and adolescents are overweight.

In an attempt to reduce childhood obesity, new laws in California have banned soft drinks and fattening, sugary snacks. The legislation could go even beyond that; Congress may make a federal law restricting the sale of junk food in public schools across the nation.

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September 21st, 2009 by El Ed Mom

When you need to have a substitute teacher take over your classroom duties, it’s important to do your best to make the guest teacher feel comfortable and confident with your students and the curriculum. By following this checklist, you can maximize the chances of your substitute teacher being able to handle your duties with ease and fluidity.

Checklist for Preparing to Host a Substitute Teacher

Create a designated section on your desk so that the substitute can easily find your notes, lessons, and materials.
Print out your daily schedule with any special notes applicable to the days in question.

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September 18th, 2009 by El Ed Mom

Homework is important because it is at the intersection between home and school. It serves as a window through which you can observe your children’s education and express positive attitudes towards your children and their education. As children grow older, homework and the amount of time engaged in homework, increases in importance. For teachers and administrators, homework is a cost effective way to provide additional instruction in practice.

Lets examine the six constructive purposes for homework in the context of your child’s educational experience. The first two are the most important and obvious. Through (1) practice and (2) participation in learning tasks, homework can improve your child’s achievement. Thus, it would be expected that if homework were completed accurately, not only would your child’s general knowledge and grades improve but your child would also increase mastery of basic academic skills, such as reading, writing, spelling and mathematics.

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September 17th, 2009 by El Ed Mom

If your child is having problems in school, you need a quick and easy way to stay in contact with his teacher on a daily basis. Teachers are just too busy to call or write you a personal note every time your child misbehaves or has difficulty with an assignment.

The Assignment Checksheet is a great tool for parents and teachers. It is simple to implement and allows you to address problems immediately. It is also a motivational tool for your child because she quickly learns that her teacher and her parents know just exactly what she is doing every day.

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