Turtle Collage: Kindergarten

There was a time...long long ago...that kindergarten students had a good working knowledge of using scissors & liquid glue.  Those days are no more, and it is up to us as SUPER ART EDUCATORS to teach our youngest artists how to use these tools of the trade.  As a way of introducing new media & tools, I keep the kinder-artists' projects very simple.  Sticking with simple shapes, and not giving them unlimited choices of paper will allow for you keep the main thing the main thing!! 

For scissors I teach my kids to play follow the leader.  The scissors are the leader....and their other hand follows behind hold thing paper as they cut.  The leader is always in front & the other hand never gets in the leader's way.  For glue I do the ever popular....DOT DOT NOT A LOT!  I also teach my students that the orange part of the bottle ALWAYS touches the paper when they apply glue.  I also teach them to scribble scrabble the glue out once they've done the dots so it is a thin & spread out layer of glue.  YOU WILL ALWAYS....ALWAYS....have those students that you need to reposition their hands holding their scissors.  YOU WILL ALWAYS.....ALWAYS.....have students that use too much glue.  That is life as an elementary SUPER ART EDUCATOR!!!  They will get it...eventually.  

HOPE YOU LIKE THEIR TURTLES!!  

Kindergarten Turtles: Patterns & Cutting Skills

In TN they removed patterns from the Kindergarten standards in their "regular" classroom.  REALLY??  They also do not have the time they use to to cut and past in their "regular" classroom.  This truth is being reflected in what I'm seeing in my room.  I'm having to work with students on how to hold their scissors, how to cut, how to make smooth lines....EVERYTHING.  That blows my mind, but I won't go off on that.  I am trying to introduce & reinforce things that I once took for granted that they would know.  Anyways?!?!  I'm really happy with their patterned shell turtles!  We used construction paper crayons on a dark green paper....and then cut and glued the turtles onto black paper.  The story we started with was Jubuti The Tortoise(I tried to find an African turtle story, but could not...Jubuti is from the Amazon.)

New Toy!

OH FISKARS ROTARY CUTTER....WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE!!?!?!?!

Last month at our weaving workshop, our presenters extolled the virtue of the rotary cutter when dealing with fabric.  One of the biggest pains about fabric weaving is all the prep work for the teacher.....but this baby works like a dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It isn't cheap, but if you have your coupons...or go on a sale day...it is easy to find it 30 to 50 % off!!!  I think I got the cutter & mat for $13 with tax!!

House Collages: Kindergarten

There are projects I do at the end of the year to make sure my student "get it".  With kindergarten I always tend to have a collage project to check cutting & gluing skills.  We are going to be working on these for two class times....this is end of day one.  I'm THRILLED!  They are looking great...and the future is lookin' bright here at Tulip Grove.  I have an amazing "crop" of great artists coming up!!