Dear Families,
It was another full week! I have noticed the children’s artistic abilities taking a leap. I see many representational drawings emerging and notice children really looking and noticing details, trying to communicate what they see with art and blocks and imaginative playing. It is not surprising that this artistic work goes hand and hand with an increased awareness of letters and desire to ‘draw’ recognizable parts of the alphabet.
Scooping out slippery seeds.
Still life inspiration.
Painting what we see.
“I’m making a little pumpkin.”
A pumpkin patch with lots of details, like stalks and lines!
Another pumpkin patch with red felted apple pumpkins!
“There’s lots of people in there and they’re going to buy the pumpkins!”
Looking closely at letters.An ‘E’ with lots of lines and other letters.
After putting the alphabet on the board we sang the alphabet song and the children wanted to take turns pointing to each letter as we sang its name. I asked, “What do you know about the alphabet?” Many children walked to the board to say, “This is my letter,” pointing to the letters in their names. Reese showed us that ‘R’ and ‘E’ and ‘S’ belong to him. “‘S’ belongs to me too,” said Stella. “Me, too!” said Suleman. Beck went to the board and pointed to an ‘M.’ “That one belongs to Mom,” he said. I was impressed by the children’s knowledge and the way they feel connected to letters that mean something special to them.
We opened a big cook book this week, where our lovely oak leaves had been resting. They were dry but still colorful. We noticed all the variations of colors and textures and lots of tiny spots and veins on the body of the leaves. “Look, like a ghost,” said Suleman. We folded our leaves in wax paper and slowly pressed until the heat melted the pages together.
Oak leaves pressed in a cookbook.
“Wow! So big. Look at this!”
Melting wax paper on leaf.
Oak leaf against window.
We got to travel on the bus again! This time we visited The Norman Rockwell Museum, to see a show about superheroes and villains by the artist, Alex Ross.It was interesting to look at the artist’s work from early childhood and to listen to an alphabet superhero story. Then we got to make our own superhero capes. The children were a wonderful, polite and engaged audience. We hope to go back soon to look at some of Norman Rockwell’s art.
On the bus to the Rockwell Museum!
“Heroes and Villains”
Batman watching over the city.
Super Sadie!
It was wonderful to have the chance to meet with you, look at the childrens’ work and reflect on the learning that has occurred this year. I look forward to all the amazing work and growth yet to come!
All the best,
Sarah