Children's Art for Fall

LOOK at these INCREDIBLE paintings!!! Can you believe these were painted by 5 year olds?  WOW!!!!

Incredible Paintings by 5 years Olds for Lesson on Fall Trees + Color Reflections in the Water: AMAZING!



  With the wizardry of Pinterest I am now making a point of arriving extra-early for my Author-in-the-School visits. I can now share with the wider world the amazing work that I see on display as I am invited about the countryside to share my ARTS with children.  

These beauties were made by brand new five year olds and were hanging in the multi-purpose room where I would later perform for the kindergarten + PreK classes of the Primary School of St. John's Episocal. My first Florida kindergarten visit!!!! I met the teachers of this amazing program last summer out in Las Vegas at ITK ("I Teach Kindergarten") which is produced annually by Staff Development for Educators. 

 

Fall Bulletin Board in Front Entryway of PreK + K Building: Colorful Leaves Painted from Leaf Study

 

Autumnal Observations

 

*****I have added this post to the first sponsored linkie party over at our collaborative blog: PreK+K Sharing. The linkie is to celebrate all 'painting' ideas! 

 

Just click on our button here -- to go to the exact post containing all of the Painting Ideas from everyone!!

Florida Sunshine!!!

Monday Memory Card Melt-down. Must down-load. Must share. 
Memo: pin!!!

  (When in doubt? use glitter!!)

How absolutely CUTE & AMAZING is this sunshine out of feet????

Geometry, Shapes & Paint

Have I mentioned lately just how much I LUV Pinterest?

Now as I make my visits to schools wearing my author/illustrator hat I always plan to arrive early enough to spend some valuable time documenting what I observe on the walls of the classrooms where I get to share my childrens songs and my picture book versions I've created as well.

These four amazing examples were on the walls at "Big Hands, Little Hearts" in their PreK + K wrap-around room. How awesome is this work?? I wish I had been a fly on the wall when it was being created. Obviously all four of these examples are stellar interpretations of shapes. How much do you appreciate the invented spelling?


The art-teacher, nerdie-mathematician in me rejoices to see this sort of 'study' in the hands of the wee masters. High school geometry teachers everywhere must do cartwheels-of-glee to see the capability at this young age. Now its just a matter of developing these concepts over time and adding some equations to the mix.

[This post was added to Deb's linkie-party at Living Montessori Now on all things geometric. So glad that you've found me from her blog. I'd be so grateful if you'd become one of my followers. Thanks -- Debbie.]

This article is now being added to the first-ever Linkie Party being hosted by our collaborative blog, PreK+K Sharing!!!! Just click on our button below and you'll be transported over to an AMAZING Array of all sorts of incredible ideas on: All THINGS PAINTING. Obviously painting can be totally 'open-ended' in a delightful process mindset, or it can be used as above in the 'teaching' of a topic -- even MATH!! even GEOMETRY!!

Musical Multiple Intelligence

Regular readers..... you know how I've been learning about building-a-better-blog? One of my lessons is to broaden my reach, by inviting others here to write a blog post from their unique perspective. A special welcome to my first guest author!! What follows today is an article written by my blogging buddy, Jen Lilienstein. Her expertise is on Multiple Intelligence and I've asked her to share specifically on musical intelligence of course. I had asked that she share some ideas for parents & families. I think after you read her article below, you'll realize her suggestions can be applied to the classroom as well. Welcome Jen!!

MI theory says that as human beings we are all at promise for all intelligences. We all carry an MI "toolbox." How we differ is in which tools we prefer to use, are best at using, as well as how we use them. But, the best part about multiple intelligences is that, unlike the traditional IQ standard in which the belief is that you have a defined potential, multiple intelligence advocates (like me) believe that intelligence is elastic and smarts can be stretched.

Here's one way we enjoy tapping into our musical intelligence as a family—all together. Even my 3 year old can get in on the action. We call it our “audible feast”.

As we all know, variety is the spice of life…but many of us get stuck in a rut when it comes to the musical genres to which we will listen. Luckily, this exercise is a piece of cake in the age of cable, satellite TV and the Internet. So, go to one of the music channels that you wouldn’t normally select on your preferred device, put on the timer for an hour, then PUT DOWN THE MOUSE or remote.

Unless there’s a lot of profanity in the lyrics, don’t change the station or turn off the channel.

In our house, we try to commit to spending at least ONE hour per week experiencing an out-of-the-ordinary musical genre as a family. The kids don’t need to love it, but we try to help them appreciate the layers and complexity of the rhythms, instruments and vocals. Here are some of the questions we ask ourselves:

 What instruments do you hear in the music?

 Are they different or similar to the ones used in the music you normally listen to?

 How do the rhythms differ?

 What do you think of the lyrics?

 Is the music melodic or dissonant?

 Is there more of a variation in dynamics (e.g. transitions from loud to soft or vice-versa)?

Just like you would find in your normal genres (or when you sit down to a nightly “feast” at your dinner table), you’ll hear artists you enjoy listening to more than others…and if you’re using a service like Pandora, Slacker, or Spotify, you can customize the new genre to suit your family’s musical “taste buds”.

So, belly-up to a Song Smorgasbord this weekend and sample some new musical delights.

Bon appetit!

Ms. Lilienstein is the Founder of Kidzmet.com and co-author of At Home for Multiple Intelligences, a new course offered by the MI Institute that starts November 16. To find out more about Kidzmet's Student Snapshots and Pairing Portraits, which can help teachers and parents better understand how their unique kids are wired to learn, click here.

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And the other really exciting news? I'm going to be writing an article to share from Jen's blog-forum, later in the week!! (This learning about blogging is really awesome!!) -- Debbie

11-11-11 Veteran's Day

 VETERANS DAY! 11-11-11

It's such an honor to be associated with the observations that are going on today, this week and this month to reflect on the sacrifice and dedication by so many to the ideals of our country. I am humbled. I am also tickled to be called a "human sparkler" (more on that later.... tee-hee.)

Becoming an author/illustrator has literally been a dream come true. To have my children's songs-as-books used in schools across the country for days such as today, is truly beyond my wildest dreams. To know that my "Red, White and Blue" is being performed for Veterans and PTAs, in pre-schools, elementaries and libraries is simply amazing!!

[I realized that I had a back-log of 'art responses' made by children in ancipation of my various author-visits. Today's the perfect time to comb thru my files and share. ]

It's a huge honor to open my email and to read at my Facebook fanpage the messages coming in from teachers. 

"Hey, this is your friend from Louisiana that asked your permission to use "Red, White, Blue" for our Veteran's Day program for our 64 Kindergarteners!!!!
WE will be performing it tomorrow, will send you pictures, and a copy of the dvd.
THANKS for allowing us to share it with our school and Veterans!!"
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"You have no idea how wonderful it would be to project the pages of your book behind the children as they sing! Keep working on that idea!"
Ohio

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"We are working on a little slide show/video piece of the kids doing the signs...we want to add bits of the kid's presentation as well as parts with the kids and their parents in uniform... a special Veteran's day observation. We usually have parents from most of the services. If it all works out (sometimes our projects do...sometimes, well...)
I will certainly get it to you.
Texas
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What could be more heart warming than a hand painted flag from a child's heart? 

"Thanks for loaning us your song. I've made a project to go with it. I've made about 200 'books' of all my favorite songs. The children love to put on the CDs and sing along with the books in our Literacy center." 

"I don't know who enjoyed you more: the kids or the staff!?! Thank you so much for coming to the Preschool and sharing your books. We would LOVE to have you come back. We will use "Red, White and Blue" for our own patriotic occasions, with Veteran's Day coming up next".   -- Colorado

"You are one knock-out storyteller, writer, and singer, and a veritable human sparkler. It's a treaure to use your book, "Red, White and Blue" for our upcoming program. May all that positive energy that you send out to the rest of the world find its way back to encircle you."    -- Chicago librarian



There you have it. Yup, you read it correctly: ME = Human sparkler.
I am the poster child for many things: baby steps, perseverance, hangin' in there. Seeing my work rippling out across the country? Priceless.
Contributing to Veteran's Day observations?
               What comes after PRICELESS???

***Since everything I do is a 'word-of-mouth' enterprise, its especially helpful when you share my link/my work/my blog/my projects/my fanpage with your circle of influence.

*****Here's my blog post: "Freedom Isn't Free" about the military service of my 2 sons-in-law & my dear husband written for the Fourth of July.

*****Here are my blog posts about my s-hero, Carie the Kindergarten teacher + her service in the Army + her time in Iraq, before making the 19 foot quilt  with her K-kiddos in reference to my book.

****And here's the blog post where I attempted to explain the rest-of-the-story about "Red, White and Blue" in anticipation of today.  

Thanks for stopping through. Thank you for honoring our families who have served and for including support for our families who serve now. Thank you also for support of my work.

Debbie

Creating Art in Response

It's WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!!!!!  

These first two photographs are of my picture book "You're Wonderful." 

That's my first-born in a sense. My first picture book, created in response to requests from teachers who had fallen in love with the original children's song that I had written earlier by that same name.

Way back before email, I used to get handwritten notes from teachers asking for a chart of the sign language for an upcoming performance. I'd get a post card from a music teacher wishing for the music notation. I got letters asking for the song's musical arrangement without my singing along. More than a few people wanted a copy for Kindergarten karaoke!!  It started to sound like a project -- getting these resources together. It started to sound like a book!!

After receiving rejection letters from every publishing company I sent the manuscript to for consideration, we took out a loan against our home and evolved into our own publishing company, too!!! You, too, can be an author/illustrator!!! It just depends on your credit score. LOL!!!! I made my illustrations for the book from fabric as small quilts. My quilts offer the perfect opportunity for a look at all things geometric..... an exploration of shapes and patterns.

One of my favorite parts of the NAEYC gathering last week, is hearing from my fan club. 
I got to see Polly from West Virginia and she shared the most amazing story of their children singing my You're Wonderful 'anthem' for their end-of-the-year graduation ceremony. 

She went on to tell how a daddy 'surprised' his wife and young son by sneaking into their big event in his military fatigues -- having just arrived back to this country from his deployment abroad. "You're Wonderful" has been described by some as a three tissue finale. Just imagine the response of the audience to see the daddy greet his newborn babe in mommy's arms for the very first time, while the preschool performers were singing and signing, 'That means we're wonderful, that means we're marvelous, that means we're beautiful and magical and filled with curiosity..... and DREAMS!"

Gives me chills just typing her retelling of the story. A Kodak/Hollywood moment to be certain.

Now that I have more readers here, I thought I would dig back in my blog-journal and share this most amazing response to my illustrations and bold fabric designs. These individual 'quilt' squares pictured here were created in Amityville, NY by kindergarten students -- in anticipation of my author visit to their K building, under the direction and guidance of their brilliant Art teacher. [If you have another minute click back to this orignal post to see more!! Or this one has my impressions after lunch and yet more photos. If you want to read my post on setting up an author visit, that is captured here.]

Each child was to choose 3 different colored squares to build their project. The amazing art teacher then mounted each of 330 finished squares on a fourth square to 'frame' their finished work. (You can see the LUV and significance of glue as portrayed in this student's work above -- LUV the symmetry!!)

 

The quilt squares of each class were then mounted on colored butcher paper.

Here's what one portion looked like for my arrival to their gym!!!

Here's the YouTube video that was filmed during my performance in their gym that morning -- the video features our singing of my song "Glad I'm at School" and their amazing energy and the collaborative artwork art quilt created in Amityville.

Their collaborative community quilt was somewhere between 25 and 30 feet long! It was about 8 feet high. Now that's a WONDERFUL collaboration!!

Here's another YouTube video, but  this one is indeed of the singing of my song, "You're Wonderful" as captured in California in a literacy program where the mommies are learning English and learning to read too, using my song as their vehicle. That makes it coast-to-coast!! Go ahead, take out a loan on your house! Amazing things can happen as a result!

Most schools this week will be using my newest book, "Red, White and Blue" the national INDIE award winner, in their observation of Veteran's Day... but it's been fun to show you where it all began!

****I've added this post to a LINKY Party over at Toddler Approved. One of my favorite author visits was to a 'Mommy-n-Me' class of toddlers. It was amazing to see the not-yet 2 year olds signing to my song!!

Toddler Approved chose this blog post as their favorite!!!

Long after the fact, I've chosen this as one of my personal favorite posts of the year and have entered this is a HUGE end-of-the-year round up of creative bloggers over at Creative Kids Connections.

I've added the post to the very first linkie-party for Teaching in Room 6!!! She has asked teachers to share their "Go-To" book. Obviously as an author/illustrator, I never leave home without my own work!

 Now added to year-long linky on all things Children's book related at The Educator's Spin on It!

Added to Ways to Play, Create a Reading Addiction, click here.

Sweet Sensory Stimulus

Sensory input. Playing with corn meal. Fine motor happiness.
It's such a joy to wander into a program and observe amazing interactions taking place before I get to plug in my "auditory-wonderment" for the kiddos. We will be strumming the guitar momentarily, singing joyfully is next on the agenda. I can't wait to introduce my original children's songs to my eager audience. But in the mean time, what a perfect way for a three year old to get to explore his world and receive immediate sensory input at the same time. All you need is an over sized tray and fill it to the brim with corn meal.

Have fun!!! Make shapes. Impact your world. Make a dent. Draw and erase in a heartbeat. Immediate feedback. Dancing dendrites. No delayed gratification here. You can see the evidence for the joy in the process!! All while exercising those fingers, strengthening those fine motor connections -- all in a totally playful and developmentally appropriate manner!! KUDOS!!! The alphabet cards are sitting innocently in the middle of the table, should anyone want to mimic a letter form. No pressure, just resource material readily available.

I have a great collage of pictures that show ideas of how to bring sensory integration to letter recognition. Click right here to see some exemplary ideas for the "Letter Q" that I saw at an exemplary VPK program in Florida. Here's the link to "Letter M" created in macaroni that's awesome, too!

Or if you're looking for a sensory 'lab' that I got to see during my tour through Reggio Emilia in Italy this spring, just click right here. Their laboratory of the senses is a whole room devoted to exploring our sensory world.

***I remembered snapping this 'corn-meal' picture because of the Linky party being hosted by Deborah Stewart over at Teach Preschool. I've added this to her blog-hop in the hopes of bringing yet another idea to teachers who are looking for additional ideas to incorporate into their plans. Go take a look at the dozens of ideas already in the hop!!! You'll be glad that you did. (Just click on the photo 'Every Day Sensory Play' below to see her original brilliant post of ideas and to follow thru to the suggestions of other bloggers from around the world!)

***While you're exploring the web, take a moment to read over at our new collaborative blog, PreK +K Sharing. Pam Bergman has written an upbeat post on the Top Ten reasons she enjoys teaching young children with special needs. She's got some great insight and additional ideas to share!!

Look!!!!! We have a button, now, too!!!!!