Everyday during Reading Workshop (from about 8:40-9:40) the kids are assigned to one center. (It is during this time that I will eventually be meeting with small guided-reading groups. The goal is to get the children to work as independently as possible, so that I have more time to spend with these small reading groups). In that center, they have a "Must-Do," or an assignment that they must complete.
Typically, the art center must-do will be an art project/poem. We read the poem together in class throughout the week. When the kids visit the art center, they complete an art project that coordinates with that poem. You might recognize the pizza poem.
When your child brings home one of these poems, please give it a place of honor in your home (the refrigerator always works nicely). Read the poem with your children. Decide if it is funny or not funny. How do the words sound? Is it rhythmic? Does it rhyme?
When the children have finished their "must-do," they may do a "choice" from the art center only (hence the color-coding. It makes it easier for the kids to know what they are allowed to do). There are lots of things to do in the art center!
There are lots of different things to draw and color with--crayons, markers and colored pencils. We even have drawing guides that teach us how to draw things we like.
Play-doh is always a popular choice. We have lots of tools and cookie cutters.
We have a whole drawer full of "junk" that we can create things from. It may look like trash to you and me, but to a kindergartner, it is TREASURE!
When we visit the art center, we practice our fine motor skills (cutting, drawing), nurture our creativity and even develop good literacy skills. I think we definitely have a few Van Goghs in our class!
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