For our regular readers, sorry there was no blog yesterday. Our network here at school went down, and I only have an old Powerbook at home right now which is not new enough for editing the blog. So here is a bit of what I would have written yesterday.
One of the key skills in reading fiction is the ability to visualize, to create a kind of movie in your head of the story that you're reading. Most adults who read lots of novels do this quite unconsciously and automatically. Many kids do, too. But it is still a skill which can be taught and learned.
One of the ways to teach visualization is through visual arts. After all, if you can draw or paint a picture, you clearly have some kind of picture in your brain. And that's what we did we the Stevie story. At the end of that story, when Robert is reflecting that maybe Stevie was "kind of a little brother" in addition to being a spoiled brat, he says, "I let my corn flakes get soggy just thinkin' about him." I've always liked that image.
So we made a still life of the soggy corn flakes. We discussed what a still life is, and we practice drawing geometric and free-form shapes from objects in the room. Next I set up a box of corn flakes, a carton of milk, and a bowl of soggy cornflakes. Students drew the still life in pencil, went over the lines in black market, and then used watercolors to paint.
I made a particular point of having them draw their own, not follow a master I put on the board. That made most of the papers less perfect, but they were the children's art, not mine.
Homework: Continue studying the spelling list. Complete the worksheet on the Multiple Meaning words. Finish scanning rhythm for Wee Willie Winkie. Students should be working now on the addition skills (Number Sense 1.1).
Remember, tomorrow is LIBRARY! Remember to bring in your book.
No comments:
Post a Comment