Books · 05-14-2014
While you're making vacation memories this summer, boost your child's imagination through reading. In addition to imparting a love of learning, reading leads the way to your child's academic success.
Books · 12-22-2013
Happy Birthday to Jerry Pinkney, winner of the 2010 Caldecott Medal for his children’s picture book The Lion and the Mouse. The book's beautiful illustrations retell Aesop's fable (without the use of text) of how one good deed begets another. Jerry Pinkney is also the recipient of five Caldecott Honor Medals, five Coretta Scott King Book Awards, and four Coretta Scott King Honor Awards! In September, I was fortunate to view the touring exhibition of his drawings and watercolors, "Witness: The...
Creativity · 12-13-2013
Did you know books can be "altered" into beautiful works of art? They can be drawn in, bedazzled, and painted. Pages can be folded, sculpted, cut, woven, quilted, and rubber stamped. Personal narratives, poems, photographs, and quotes can be added. The possibilities are endless. My friend Susan (and her elementary school students) have created a variety of altered books/visual journals that are imaginative, inspirational, and poignant works of art. I learned some of Susan's techniques at a...
Books · 11-24-2013
If you know a child who has an interest in learning Shakespeare, guide her towards How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. One of the author's goals was to teach his own children "at least twenty-five passages from Shakespeare's plays so that they could have the lines at their fingertips and spout them whenever the occasion presented itself." While there is debate about the usefulness of memorization, engaged children will love the challenge. Who knows how learning passages from Shakespeare's...
Creativity · 11-21-2013
Did you know doodling sparks creativity and helps you pay attention? Let these books inspire the creative, attentive doodlers among us.
Activities · 10-09-2013
Everyone has unique perspectives. Our differing backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences shape how we react to situations, problems, and conversations. Gifted children possess many strengths, including the ability to view things differently - a perspective that is occasionally unappreciated. One way to foster valuing different perspectives is through art. The following symmetry painting activity is an opportunity for children to understand how we see things differently. Children make the paintings...