Today, much to our daughter’s delight, our grandson displayed an outpouring of all the ways he’s been learning to write. Brayden attends a great preschool and has been consistently exposed to letters, numbers and opportunities to write. Being a kinesthetic, active little boy he does write but often prefers more physical, social activity. Yet, today was a special day. Brayden sat and wrote and wrote and wrote his name! With much delight and pride in what he was doing, he wrote all the letters in the correct order again and again.
I have been enormously blessed with a wonderful husband, four adult children, one grandchild (so far) and a bevy of nieces and nephews. My husband and I, along with our brothers and sisters, are great supporters and champions of one another’s children.
Education.com is a great resource for parents and educators. They have dedicated themselves to providing information to parents in order to help kids reach their full potential. The site is one of my favorites and contains articles, activities and thoughts from experts in their fields. The information is organized and presented by age group and covers everything from seasonal craft and play activities to parenting tips, to education tools and strategies. If you aren’t familiar with the site, I encourage you to take the time to visit www.Education.com. I am sure you will find it so valuable you will find it a must to bookmark.
I’m back from vacation and getting ready to travel again. This time I am en route to Cleveland to promote the Being-Visual philosophy on Art Education in a live taping of a segment at Fox 8 Cleveland and to present a speech on “What Every Parent Should Know About their Child’s Education” at the Agnon School.
First stop Fox News. I have been invited to appear on WJW-TV – Fox News in the Morning on Wednesday, October 3. During our session I’ll talk about what it means to be a visual learner, ways your child may be struggling in school and how you can help. I’ll share some ideas for making learning more visual and tactile.
As children we have so many ideas about what we want to be when we grow up. As parents we know our children’s dreams and plans will change as they grow and get to know themselves better. We strive to provide our kids the education and opportunities that will prepare them for whatever they decide to pursue. When children participate in the arts, music, dance or the visual arts, it’s not necessarily because they’ll be artists as adults – but because it’s key to a rich educational experience.
Art teachers are excited to welcome students back into the classroom. While we enjoy the work our children create in art class, participation in the arts is far more impactful than is often understood. As explained in my new book Being-Visual, the arts are essential for all children because it influences their ability to learn in every subject.
Art class is not just about art. Art and its foundational skill—drawing—is about reading and writing visually. When children learn to draw, they learn to see, evaluate and discern—visually. Many other subjects are affected by a child’s visual discernment and reading skills, such as math and reading.
When I first set out to write Being Visual, I thought I was writing about my experience seeing the way art can be used to enhance learning. But while writing and researching, I had a very profound shift in my own understanding. I, like many others, thought learning was learning and art was there as a benefit—an enrichment. As an artist myself, I had always enjoyed participating in art class alongside my other studies. But, I now realize I had grossly underestimated the power and value of art as it relates to education.
For this eBook, I’ve gathered an assortment of fun activities to keep your kids busy. There are activities you can do In the House and activities that are Out of the House. Hopefully, you can get out to do some of these activities as a family.