Saturday, January 29, 2011

Music + Arts + Literacy = ENGAGEMENT

We just returned from presenting at the Florida Alliance for Arts Education's West Coast Symposium.  It was a great day filled with many ideas for integrating arts into core subject areas.  Our presentation is called "Music + Arts + Literacy = ENGAGEMENT" and describes how we use all forms of visual and performing arts along with books to help students with their comprehension strategies. This approach to our reading intervention came began from our work with Tanny McGregor, author of  one of our favorite books: Comprehension Connections.

Using Tanny's book as a springboard has led us to discover some fabulous picture books based on music and, in turn, artwork that supports our teaching.  Here is a partial bibliography of books, art prints/paintings, music, and poems to teach each of the seven key areas of comprehension:


SCHEMA-
BOOKS/TEXT:
Piggie Pie (T-T connections) Margie Palatini
The Ghost Eye Tree (T-S connections)
SONGS: “Whistle a Happy Tune” (The King and I)
                “Monster Mash”
                “Popular” (Wicked)
                “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story)
 ART:  The Scream (Edvard Munch)
POETRY:
Poems:  Monster Motel  Doug Flourian
Poems:  A Little Bit Scary by Gill Davies and Illus. by Gill Guile  (Ghost Train)



INFERENCE-
BOOKS/TEXT:
Day is Done  by Peter Yarrow
An internet synopsis of the Broadway musical “Annie”
Song lyrics from Tomorrow
Zoom books by Istvan Banyai
SONGS:
“Tomorrow” (from Annie)
“Day is Done”  (Peter, Paul, and Mary)
“Cat’s in the Cradle” (Harry Chapin)
ART:
Artwork of Horace Pippin-
Examples- Christmas Morning, Breakfast; After Supper; West Chester; Fishing  Through Ice; The Wash; Domino Players

QUESTIONING-
BOOKS/TEXT:
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
            *Use with Norman Rockwell’s print, The Problem We All Live With
Frederick by Leo Lionni
Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger
SONGS:
“Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” (Pete Seeger)
“Blowin’ in the Wind”
“Part of Your World” (Disney’s The Little Mermaid)
“Why Not”  (Hilary Duff)
 ART:
Where Have All the Flowers Gone? etching by Laura Chassy
Where Have All the Flowers Gone? by Ladija Ivanek   (SILA) This work is abstract  expressionism.
The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell (use with the story of Ruby Bridges)
The work of Jan Vermeer is very appropriate for questioning.
POETRY:
It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles (Jack Prelutsky)
            Examples- What Oinks?
                              Why Do I Have to Clean My Room?

DETERMINING IMPORTANCE-
BOOKS/TEXT:
The Coat of Many Colors  by Dolly Parton
Lyrics to  “Simple Gifts”
SONGS:
The Coat of Many Colors  by Dolly Parton
Simple Gifts by Jewel
ART:
Simple Pair by Norma Wilson
Simple Gifts oil painting by Kimberly Applegate

VISUALIZING-
BOOKS/TEXT:
Grandma’s Feather Bed adapted by Christopher Canyon
Take Me Home Country Roads adapted by Christopher Canyon
SONGS:
“Grandma’s Feather Bed” by John Denver
“Take Me Home Country Roads” by John Denver
“Thank God I’m a Country Boy” by John Denver
ART:
American Gothic by Grant Wood  
POETRY:
The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky- “Michael Built a Bicycle”

SYNTHESIS-
BOOKS/TEXT:
The Littlest Matroyska by Corinne Demas Bliss
For Baby for Bobbie 
SONGS:
Sunrise, Sunset” (from Fiddler on the Roof)
ART:
Sunrise and sunset paintings. One source: www.alloriginals.com, impressionistic paitings by Daniel Haney

METACOGNITION-
BOOKS/TEXT:
Don’t Laugh at Me by Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin
The Red Book by Barbara Lehman
(*Any wordless book is a great tool to develop metacognitive skills.)
SONGS:
“(Feeling Groovy)
By Alabama

ADDITIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOKS IN SONG (some with audio cd)
Over the Rainbow (cd performed by Judy Collins)
Colorful World (cd performed by CeCe Winans)
What a Wonderful World
Goodnight, My Angel- A Lullaby (with cd of Billy Joel)
New York State of Mind (with cd of Billy Joel)
Let’s Sing Together- The Peter Yarrow Songbook
Love Me Tender (with cd of Elvis Presley)
Say a Little Prayer for You
This Land is Your Land
Puff the Magic Dragon
Take Me Out to the Ballgame