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| A City Springs student sports his caterpillar headband, which was inspired by Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. |
This school year Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Diane Macklin brought the arts to City Springs students through a Wolf Trap Literacy Residency.
The 16-week program, made possible by the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts and Young Audiences of Maryland, engaged six City Springs teachers in a highly collaborative and creative partnership to improve student literacy. Participating teachers included Mindy Cipriano, Doe Kim Corcoran, Mallory Davis, Dottie Glewwe, Nicole LeFrancois, and Kiera Jones.
Diane Macklin is an acclaimed storyteller, actress, and educator who has delighted audiences for over 15 years, sharing tales through a dynamic style seasoned with rhythm, sounds, and movement, engaging listeners of all ages.
Diane provided professional development for teachers while helping the students learn through active participation. Classroom experiences focused on performing arts-based strategies that teachers could use to foster young children’s learning and development.
During the last session of the residency students made caterpillar headbands and acted out the life cycle of a butterfly, as described in the popular children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
"The kids looked forward to Ms. Diane coming into our class every week," said Ms. Davis.
"They still talked about her after the residency was over. I think my students will always remember Ms. Diane."
We would like to thank Ms. Maclkin, the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning, and Young Audiences of Maryland for providing this wonderful opportunity for our students and teachers.
The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts is an internationally respected program that provides innovative arts-based teaching strategies and services to early childhood teachers, caregivers, parents, and their children from 0 to 5 through the disciplines of drama, music, and movement.
As the Maryland sponsor of the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Young Audiences expands access to arts experiences for Maryland’s youngest students during the critical early learning years. Each program offers professional development to build teachers’ skills and confidence in arts integration techniques so that the arts remain a strong part of their lessons after the residency ends.
For more information about the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning visit:
http://www.wolftrap.org/Education/Institute_for_Early_Learning_Through_the_Arts.aspx
For more information about Young Audiences of Maryland visit:
http://yamd.org/