The Value of Curling Paper
Like verbal languages, the language of visual art has phonics of its own. By combining the 26 letters that scaffold the English language in a variety of ways, we are able to communicate vast complexities and wonders. By manipulating five…
Da Vinci Summer V: Craft a Found Poem
Think scavenger hunt. Found poems are snips of non-poetic language gathered from unexpected places collaged into verse. Think scraps of newspaper, snippets of conversation. Think clipped magazine phrases woven to phrases you've invented. Think scramble, unscramble. Keep your eyes open,…
Musical Popsicle Sticks
This nifty little music maker is a simple DIY project for little hands. Way more like a kazoo than a harmonica, it’s a music maker sure to bring smiles nonetheless. Thanks Housing a Forest for the fun idea!
Da Vinci Summer V: Caterpillar Challenge!
Coming soon: Caterpillar Challenge. Follow us on FaceBook for details.
Da Vinci Summer V: How to Observe a Caterpillar
“Let us dig our furrow in the fields of the commonplace.” Jean-Henri Fabre Children become science-minded by exploring their observations of the world around them. Science is much more than facts in a textbook. Facts are only a fraction of…
Caterpillars in Micropolis
“We frequently see, at the ends of pine branches, voluminous bags of white silk intermixed with leaves. These bags are, generally, puffed out at the top and narrow at the bottom, pear-shaped. They are sometimes as large as a person’s…
The Backbone of Literacy
The ability to read and write is complex and involves the integration of numerous foundational skills. Learning to read and write, children must wade through the landscape of phonology (word sounds), orthography (word patterns), morphology (word classifications) and…
The Metaphorical Beast
E. Nesbit, storyteller extraordinaire, weaves quite a yarn. The Book of Beasts is a favorite of my three sons. Why? Not because the protagonist is a small boy, but because that small boy becomes king! What boy doesn’t dream of…
Paint like Jasper Johns
“Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it.” – Jasper Johns Find a word you like. Take the word and write it on canvas. Mix some colors you like. Take your word and paint the colors…
How to Read a Great Character and Become One
Characters do things. They feel things. They hear things. They say things. They think things. They go places. They can walk, run, leap, and jump. They may sit and rock in a rocking chair. They may just lie in bed,…