My Many Colored Days - Dr. Seuss

Image from booksamillion

Everyone has heard of The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Horton Hears A Who.

Dr. Seuss also wrote an entirely different type of poem that compares the variety of his emotions to color. Check out the KidReadz lesson that explores the work of Dr. Seuss. It also looks at paintings by Van Gogh, Georgia O'Keefe, and Picasso -- illustrating how color is used to express emotion.

The unit "My World Is A Rainbow" is designed to help children understand their own feelings and to express those feelings through art. As in other of the KidReadz units, picture books are employed "To Help Kids Connect."

Learn more about the KidReadz Concept.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - 3 Versions - Which Is Best?

Image from booksamillion

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Illustrated by Sylvia Long

A KidReadz lesson looks at different versions of the song "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Different YouTube videos are part of the lesson.

The unit is designed to help children analyze their feelings and their opinions. Picture books are employed to teach children about art. Actual painting tutorials are included.

Most importantly, the unit is designed "To Help Children Connect."

I highly recommend Sylvia Long's interpretation of the classic children's poem.

Long's sensitive illustrations set this book apart from all of the other versions of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Eric Carle - Watching A Master Paint

A live video of Eric Carle -- painting -- is posted on his website.

This video and a discussion of Carle's work is part of the KidReadz curriculum, teaching children about picture books, painting, collage, and art.

Check it out.

Picasso on Children and Art

Every Child Is An Artist.
The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.
-Pablo Picasso -

Please look at the KidReadz curriculum, designed to teach children how to paint and express themselves freely. Picture books are employed to reinforce the unit. Children also learn about their own feelings and how to look critically at and form opinions about what they see.

The unit is designed to help children become more aware and responsive.

It is part of the KidReadz concept, which is being constructed "To Help Children Connect."

Tux Paint - Free Open Source Computer Art Program for Kids

Tux Paint has many features that are similar to those in Firefox -- It is even remotely similar to Photoshop. It is certainly a stepping stone toward either Firefox or Photoshop. Yet, this free program is simple enough to be handled by very young children.

Tux Paint provides a great outlet for creativity and for encouraging budding artists; and it is also a great teaching tool. In today's landscape, with an ever-widening mulitmedia horizon,Tux Paint is an excellent program to help children become more technologically literate--beginning with learning simple mouse control, in a fun and colorful way.

There are brush tools for drawing and painting and line tools for creating more linear images. Features, such as the Shapes Tool and the Stamp Tool could be used for teaching simple shapes--and for illustrating how to create patterns. These are actually math skills.

The Text Tools and images can be combined, so that children can write and illustrate together.

The program can be downloaded, with or without the extra Stamp Software, at:

http://www.tuxpaint.org/

Both are free at this time.

Picasso on Children and Art

image from Flickr

My mother said to me, "If you become a soldier, you'll be a general; if you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope." Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.

Using Picture Books to Teach Children's Art

Check out the KidReadz lesson plan, using the book Look ! Look! Look! to teach children about looking at art and to help them learn to paint.

In this lesson, the children will learn to mix warm colors, to mix flesh tones, and to paint the sun.

Collage, Shapes, and Design are also be introduced.

Google Earth and Mapping Skills are used to help the students grasp where the famous artists lived -- relative to where they live.