A while ago, I was observing a group of preschoolers, and I was amazed at how long they stayed at a task. What was so engaging? They were making something rather ordinary and kind of “old-fashioned” -- paper chains.
As they worked on this project, I could see why they were so involved. They wanted to make a chain that would go all the way across the floor. Anything so big has real power to it…and real fascination for young children. There’s even more power to it when you think about how much the children might be learning -- about math, language arts, motor skills, and social-emotional skills.
Fred knew the power of everyday crafts. All through the Neighborhood series he used simple materials like construction paper, scissors and tape to encourage children to create things that were fun and meaningful.
A Memorable Marsalis Musical Gift
December 2022: In all the years that I worked with Fred, one of the things I came to appreciate is that he encouraged us to be "mindful" - and that was long before it was a part of our vocabulary.
November 2022: With all the emphasis on food at Thanksgiving, I thought you'd appreciate seeing the video below when Fred talked about nourishment. He began with a focus on food, but then he went on to talk about other kinds of nourishment that we all need.
October 2022: Ever since I started presenting workshops on Fred's approach to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math), I've kept my ears open for stories of children's questions about the world around them -- and for the way their teachers respond.
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