IN

THIS
ISSUE

Director's Message

KinderFirst

"Who's got talent? We do!"

Science Fair 2009

3rd-7th Grade
"AISF Science Fair March 18, 2009"

Language Arts and Literature

4th & 5th Grade
"You should read these books!"

"Birthdays"

They've done it again! My students have amazed me with their talent. At first I merely wanted to read the play to them hoping to expose them to a different type of literature. However, they expressed such an interest that we pulled parts out of a hat and got right down to memorizing lines for "Who will bell the cat?" Now weeks into our practicing and after an excellent performance before the US Ambassador, I*m wondering how I ended up with 8 of the most talented students at AISF.

While creativity is something that comes naturally to young children, it can often become tempered or partially hidden (though never lost) as they get older and make their way through academia. Soon the danger that 'making the grade' and 'getting the right answer' may start to crowd out spontaneity and choke some risk taking becomes very real. What can we as the adults in their lives do to 'keep the flame' of creativity burning throughout their lives? Below I've listed a few points that I think it is important to keep in mind if you think you might have a Maya Angelou, Michael Jackson or Meryl Streep living under your roof.

What is it like? We live in such a colorful world that it often defies description. However, despite the difficulty in the task there are many authors who have showed us the power of descriptive words and their ability to capture the imagination. To improve creativity in writing it is important work to expand your child*s vocabulary. This can be done simply by resisting the urge to *dumb* down your conversation by using words you think they will understand better. Speak as you normally would to an adult and simply be prepared to provide a definition for everything you say. You can also walk your child through "what is it like?" exercises where you find alternative ways to describe common things they see. For example: What is the sun like? It is like a golden coin. It is like a round ball of cheese. It is like a yellow eye. This expands their ability to be creative in their writing.
Show an interest - Don't just glance at a picture, nod approval and give a rehearsed "oooh" and "aaah". Show a real interest by asking probing questions. Try to understand the specific logic behind what they have done. Here it might be tempting to infuse your own ideas of what is right and what makes sense. Try to resist doing this in a way that imposes your opinion or suggests that they have done something wrong. Their creative expression must be a safe space for them to express themselves.
Play time! - Play, especially with peers is an important time when children expand their creativity by learning from others and swapping ideas. Their worlds collide and they are able to draw from the experiences of others, incorporating new worlds into their own. Real life friends always make much better playmates than the flat and impersonal television screen.
Make time and give space - Does your child like to draw, sing, act or make music? Make time or set aside a space in your house for them to do this by providing the extra materials to hone this talent. While not every child who expresses an interest in the arts will go on to make a full time career of this interest, it is a vital part of their lives that should be encouraged and enhanced whenever possible. Ask them about their latest work of art or composed song but don't worry if it's something that they decide they don't want to share. For them it might be a private and therapeutic activity.
I enjoy the spontaneous singing and dancing that often erupts from my class (although I must remind them that such outbursts are to be saved for Mrs. Johnson's room!). It often translates into performances that are carried out by confident and talented students who are not without a sense of humor! Never a dull moment in KinderFirst!

Joy Spencer, KinderFirst Teacher