Inside the Wonder Studio: Life in Miniature

March 14, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 8 Comments

A brave and brilliant 5th grade Wonder Studio crafter wearing kaleidoscope glasses.

When I was in the 5^th grade, I loved making miniature replicas of things that I was learning about in school: prairie houses, covered wagons, log cabins, and so much more. When I read about ancient history, I would make models of castles, pyramids, and I even made a sugar cube Roman Colosseum. I loved designing and building in miniature. I loved the challenge of finding materials that could be used in my creations. My good friend, Roxane, was an expert at sewing tiny families of mice clothed in wonderful Victorian costumes. I didn’t know how she crafted them so meticulously. My creations definitely looked child-made. I was so proud of them. Taking the time to create them deepened my understanding not only of the crafting process, but also of the time period I was endeavoring to replicate.

This month in the Wonder Studio, the 5^th graders have been working on a small scale. No one mandated that they do so. They all just started making tiny projects. It might be due to the fact that they are starting a unit in math in which they are required to make tiny houses for clients. The clients are comprised of willing teachers and school staff. No matter what the reason, this focus on small is age appropriate and well-suited to their developmental level. Their fingers are now skillful enough to manufacture tiny things, and they are intellectually curious about how various things work. By making miniature models, they are able to gain a fuller understanding of how the real things work.

This is the 5^th graders’ second round in Wonder Studio this year. They no longer need an introduction to where materials are stored or how to operate simple machines the hot glue gun, saddle stapler, saw, drill, cardboard scissors, iron, etc.) As soon as we enter the studio, they rush to work. They all have ideas and are ready to put them into action.

A group of three students, then four, now six are constructing a model of their classroom to present to their teachers on Teacher Appreciate Day in April. Four students are creating the classroom with foam core, cardboard, and wood scraps. Two others have labeled themselves “the carpenters,” and are making a series of tiny wooden desks and chairs for the classroom. I sit back and marvel at their ingenuity. I jump in when I’m asked for materials or crating assistance. But the ideas? The ideas are all theirs. In these short set of weeks, I’ve seen their confidence and ideas grow. They are more willing to take risks. They problem-solve, collaborate, and call on each other’s best skills. When I witness this natural buzz of creative process, I become so excited because to me this is the essence of learning. They are in the zone. They are in what Csikzentmihalyi called the state of flow.

Students make miniature bulletin boards for their tiny classroom model.

Another pair of students have decided to create bakery products. They are concocting donuts, coffee cakes, and cupcakes with found objects from the Wonder Studio. One student found a way to make roasted marshmallows. They find things that I didn’t even know we had! They cut, paint, glue with happy abandon.

Donuts, coffee cake, pie, cake pops, cupcakes and roasted marshmallows!

Anna has brought a small plastic bag with her to the Wonder Studio. She takes out a miniature pinball machine that she started at home. It is incredibly tiny, and she is determined to make it work. I am in awe of her precision. I keep wondering how we can transfer this kind of agency and enthusiasm to regular classroom experiences. The students always tell me that Wonder Studio should be a “real subject” like math and English. They want that challenge of coming up with an idea, their own idea, and seeing it grow into a reality. They need time to do this.

Ida, who is unafraid to try something new, excels in Wonder Studio. I call her “our engineer.” She loves making tiny replicas of machines that really work (a humane trap, a windmill, a rolling cart – to name a few). This week, she saw a “That was Easy” button I had on a counter and decided to make one out of cardboard soup container lids. Ida’s button says, “OOF!” on the top, and when you press it, it makes a soft whooshing sound. I am amazed and ask her how she constructed it. Ida looks at me like I have just asked the dumbest question on the face of the planet, shrugs her shoulders, and says confidently, “Compressed air.” I am constantly surprised by Ida’s ingenious designs.

These small creations, this work in miniature, garner big results. The students now own the Wonder Studio. It is their space. They know how to use it. They are no longer hesitant but dive head-long into projects – trying ideas, sometimes abandoning them, but mostly following through and sharing their creations proudly.

Object Connections: Janet Wong’s Poetry

March 6, 2023March 5, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

Last week, I had an opportunity to attend a poetry workshop presented by Janet Wong and sponsored by Rutgers University Center for Literacy Development, which is directed by Dr. Lesley Morrow. Janet won the NCTE excellence in children’s Poetry Award in 2021. It is a lifetime achievement award, and one of the highest honors a children’s poet can receive. Before becoming a poet, Janet was a lawyer. Currently, she serves on the Yale Law School executive committee. However, decades ago she decided to change the direction of her life to become a children’s book author. She has published over forty books for children and teens on diverse subjects. This workshop was special to me because, as a member of the advisory board of RUCLD, I had been asked to help Janet throughout the day. I have always admired Janet, and now I got to spend the day with her.

Janet brought two large suitcase of props: flip-flops, popcorn, marshmallows, nori seaweed snacks, gummy worms, a rubber duck, a bunch of bananas, a bag of just-ripe avocados, a can of peas, an apple, an orange, an onion, a clove of garlic, and much more. As she read poems and told the stories behind the poems, Janet would give away objects as gifts to the audience members. This is where my job began. I put on my best “Vanna White” imitation – holding objects up in the air, smiling, and then racing around the conference space delivering the precious objects to participants.

One poem that Janet acted out for us and had participants act out in turn was “Noodle Soup.” It is a short, happy rhyming poem. From the repetition, alliteration, and whimsical rhyme, one would think it was just a funny kid poem. However, Janet told us the story behind this poem. When she was a child, she invited her best friend over for breakfast. Her mother made a steaming pot of wonton soup, Janet’s favorite. When her friend arrived late, she looked at the soup and said, “Don’t you eat ‘normal’ food for breakfast?” This hurt Janet immensely, but she never told her friend.

Another of Janet’s poems, “Waiting at the Railroad Café,” recounts a tense scene when Janet and her family were on vacation and went to restaurant to eat. When the family entered, it was like they were invisible. They weren’t greeted or taken to a seat. They weren’t given menus. They were completely ignored because they were Asian. That experience made a profound impact on Janet.

These two poems come from Good Luck Gold, which was the first book Janet published in 1994. Good Luck Gold & More was published in 2021 and took Janet’s original forty-two poem collection and added fifty more pages of prose explaining the backstory of each poem. I loved that Janet took everyday objects and connected them to times in her life. Out of that connection a poem was born. Many times we read poems but do not know the backstory. The backstory creates context and gives us a deeper understanding of the poem.

After her large group presentation, participants were able to attend a small group session with Janet. That session was designed to give participants a chance to write. Janet and I stacked copies of her various poems and spread a majority of the contents of her two large suitcases onto four long tables. As a warm-up, Janet asked us to match her poems with the objects that were displayed around the room. Then, Janet asked us to choose an object and write a poem about it. As we shared our poems, Janet gave away more objects to the poet-participants. It was clear that Janet has a generous spirit: she gave her time and knowledge freely. She enjoyed gifting people with the objects she had lugged from Seattle, Washington to Piscataway, New Jersey.

Below is the poem I wrote for my object – a small yellow rubber duck. The poem came to me as I remembered my friend, Arman, telling me how his son, Caram, did not like water and bath time at all. He would cry and cry. So I re-imagined how Caram could become in love with bath time.

As we packed up what was left of her belongings into now one suitcase, Janet encouraged me to keep writing and to join her summer initiative, Think Poetry, which will provide opportunities for teachers and librarians to publish their poems. As we departed, Janet stacked cookies, popcorn, and Nori seaweed snacks in my arms.

“Put them in your faculty room,” she said with a smile. “I couldn’t have had a more helpful partner today. We are a good team.”

I smiled, thanked her, and walked to my car juggling my teacher treats. Janet not only connected people to objects and experiences, she connected people to each other, and that is the true power of poetry.

Some Books by Janet Wong

Picture Books

Poetry Books

Anthologies Created with Sylvia Vardell

A Gift for Story

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

John Schu has a gift for story, and he wants to share it with EVERYONE he meets. This past week, I attended one of John’s professional development workshops sponsored by Rutgers University Center for Literacy Development directed by Dr. Lesley Morrow, my former professor and mentor at the Graduate School of Education. Throughout the hour, John drew us in and told us his story through the books he’s read. His mission is to connect readers to stories that will affect and change their lives.

John believes that stories save lives, and he proved it by telling us his life story, weaving events in his childhood to the books that helped him heal and grow. He was a shy boy, a boy who loved musical theater, a boy who loved to play school complete with his own grade and roll book, chalk, and red pens. With his imaginary class he could exert control and have some power over his world.

As he recounted his story, he gave vivid book talks about both current books and old favorites. His generosity is amazing, and he graciously gifted many books to his audience. John has developed what he coins as “the smell test,” because he loves the smell of books. He rates books using “the smell test,” and makes us laugh. Books that get high ratings on “the smell test,” have the capacity to touch one’s heart. Tiger Rising was that kind of book for John, and it led to a strong friendship with its author, Kate DiCamillo. John describes Kate as someone with a “capacious” heart, a term Kate used in her novel, Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventure to describe a person who is open-hearted, a person who can connect, empathize and heal. Periodically throughout the workshop, John had us chant Kate’s name. What a wonderful homage to a devoted friend. Good friends like good books are invaluable.

As we got to know John, he opened up more and more about why he became a teacher, a school librarian, then a school library ambassador, and then an author. He was funny and energetic and made us laugh; he was poignant and vulnerable and made us cry. What John conveyed in his workshop is what a book does every time a reader opens the cover and turns a page. Story is indeed important.

John had two teachers who served as reading role models. One was Dr. Mary Margaret Reed, who was his 5^th grade teacher. She was exuberant and eccentric and a reader. She knew how to entice children to read, especially a shy boy who needed some friends and some healing. John writes about Dr. Reed in The Creativity Project, which was edited by Colby Sharp. In the book, John wrote a letter to Dr. Reed expressing his admiration and confessing that he stole her copy of Matilda by Roald Dahl because he so greatly needed that book. He still has that copy of Matilda. Another reading role model came to John when he was in college. Her name was Dr. Penny Britton Kolloff. John was eager to become a teacher, and he worked so hard to do his best – maybe too hard. Dr. Kolloff recognized this, and she told John that to be a teacher one must learn self-care as she put a copy of A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech in his hands. John keeps a copy of the book displayed wherever he’s worked to remind him to keep in the forefront of his mind personal well-being.

At one point, John asked us our definition of story. I wrote: Story is like breathing in and out. I could not live without story. And when children tell me they hate reading, I remind them that they LOVE stories – and they agree. I remember when I was tutoring dyslexic children, and they would get discouraged because reading was so hard for them. It was such long, hard, and tedious work. They would tire and feel disappointed with themselves. I found ways to encourage them. I would empathize with them that reading was indeed difficult, but I would also remind them that they LOVED stories. They would nod their head and agree. Then, I would read aloud to them to help them energize and enter a story. After I read for a while, we would stop and share our thoughts and have deep conversations about characters, events, and make predictions about what might happen next. It was that anticipation that kept them going. They needed to know what was going to happen next.

John told us a great story about the anticipatory joy that reading brings. He recounted a time when he got a book in the mail and be became so absorbed in it that he spent the day taking the book with him to his living room chair, over to the refrigerator, back to the chair, then into the bathroom, then back to the chair and round and round again and again until he had only five pages left. That’s when a monumental decision loomed: finish the book or make it last a little longer. As avid readers we do not want the story to end. So John decided to go to sleep with the five pages unread. Of course, he tossed and turned in bed. He needed to know the ending of this now beloved story. He got up, went downstairs, sat in his comfy chair, and read the ending, tears flowing down his face. The story was complete. The book? The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The story had changed him like all good stories do. John spent a lot of time telling everyone he could about The One and Only Ivan. It was a treasure he wanted to share. He even got a chance to meet Ivan and have Ivan autograph his copy of the book, by signing with his thumbprint in green.

This day with John was well spent. I now have a longer list of books to read, I have a box full of books from Amazon on their way, I have a renewed love of story, and I have found a kindred spirit and book whisperer extraordinaire.

Books by Mr. Schu

Connect with Mr. Schu

Some of the Books that Pass Mr. Schu’s Smell Test

Rainbow Writing with Kindergarteners

February 20, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 9 Comments

I count myself fortunate. My busy job includes spending time with kindergarten writers and there is no greater joy than that. Since September, these novice writers have grown steadily. First, they drew their stories and told them to each other. Eventually, they began to write their stories instead of saying them aloud. They valiantly sounded out each letter until they formed the approximate word. Most times they could read back what they had written. When they couldn’t read it back, they looked at their picture and found other words. Writing in Kindergarten takes a great amount of perseverance and faith. Their stick-to-itiveness is remarkable. They are a determined lot.

That’s why I was not surprised when I came to my weekly writing workshop on a Monday afternoon in mid-February to see all the kindergarten writers busy working on various steps in the writing process: brainstorming, planning, drafting, conferring with a teacher, and finally creating a cover for publication. When I stepped inside the doorway, several of them immediately called to me.

“Sit here!”

“Sit with us!”

“Come write with us,” one girl called and patted the chair next to her.

It is good to have five-year-old friends who are writers. They are welcoming and affirming. I sat down and asked what they were working on. They readily shared their drawings and stories. One of them commanded, “Write a story.”

I smiled. I have been joining them for writing workshop for six months now, and almost every time I make sure that they see me writing. I have explained to our teachers that writing with your students is as important (and I dare say – more important) that conferring with them. When children see you write, they better understand the process and can learn how you go about planning, composing, and revising. This type of showing is so much better than telling.

Though I know writing with children is important, I wasn’t sure that the children had noticed. However, this past week proved that the children do indeed take notice and that they want adults to join them in the writing process rather than always being the facilitator or editor. Writing alongside them actually wields more power – makes a greater impact.

So, I steady myself on the kindergarten-sized chair and I ask, “What should I write about?”

“Rainbows,” Charlotte explains.

I chuckle, and think to myself, “Of course, kindergarten girls – rainbows indeed.”

One of them runs off to get me three sheets of paper. They are learning to write a story in three parts: beginning, middle, and end. I take the paper and bend my head towards the table. I do not look up but instead concentrate carefully on what I want to write. I start with a picture. I draw two giant clouds and then I get an idea. I start to draw small cats dropping out of one cloud and small dogs dropping out of the other.

“What is she doing?” whispers one of them.

“Look!” whispers another.

I do not raise my head or say anything. I keep concentrating.

They begin to giggle. “Dogs and cats are falling,” one of them declares.

One of them hops up excitedly, “It’s raining cats and dogs!” she screams.“I know what that means. I know what that means!” Julie shouts.

She bends down next to me and tucks her face two inches from mine. I can’t help but stop and look at her.

“It means it is raining very hard,” Julie explains.

I smile and nod my head. I flip the page and start drawing a giant puddle.

“What’s that?” one of them asks.

“It’s a puddle!’’ another answers.

“I know. I know. The dogs and cats are going to drop into the puddle!” Julie predicts.

I have never had so much fun writing a story. These young writers are thoroughly engaged and engaging. They continue with their work, and we write together quietly. Sometimes one of them will offer me an orange pencil so I can color in one of the cats.

A shy student who was sitting at another table comes over to me, encouraged by her teacher. She hands her book to me.

“Oh, you finished your story, Olivia!” I say. She nods her head.

“I’d like to hear it. Will you read it to me?” I ask gently.

Olivia nods her head again.

She is very shy and tentative. She speaks softly, and we have spent the year encouraging her and giving her opportunities to speak. From her drawings and writing, it is clear Olivia has a lot to say. She has sophisticated thoughts that we might have missed if we didn’t give her and her classmates this time to imagine and create.

Soon, writing workshop time comes to an end, and they gather together in the authors’ circle. I leave my rainbow story for them to read at another time as Olivia raises her hand to share.

Show Some Love

February 12, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 4 Comments

This January to March time is always a rush of non-stop activity at school. The Northeast, dreary winter weather does nothing to help soothe the onslaught of stress. I get so wrapped up in the doing that I don’t even realize I’m hunching my shoulders and holding my breath most of the day. And I love what I do! I love helping children. The helping part is the easy, rewarding part for me. It’s the never-ending to-do list of faculty meetings, parent meetings, assessments, evaluations – check lists upon check lists. I am a very organized person, but the enormous amount of never-ending work has the potential to drown and discourage me. But I won’t let it!

Thank goodness for mid-February. Mid-February is a reminder to breathe, slow down, and show myself some self-love. My wedding anniversary is February 10^th. Since our first anniversary 38 years ago, my husband and I have used the 10^th to herald in four days of celebration. For us, it is a time to reflect of what we are grateful for; a time to remember that we are each other’s best thing. The 10th also stands as a reminder for me to pause, take a step back and undo some of the knot of work projects. The work is important, but if I don’t take time for myself and show myself some love, the work will ultimately suffer.

Here are 14 ways I’m intentionally showing myself some love this February:

Smile – I notice that when I smile, I feel better. My mood lifts, and it’s contagious! People smile back and I feel connected. When I look in the mirror, I am learning to appreciate my lines, wrinkles, and spots. “This is me; this is my face. Hello! You are loved,” I say to myself and grin.

Laugh – I am a laugher. I cannot help it. I laugh all the time. I didn’t notice that I laugh a lot until friends brought it up. I find joy in many things. I think it is my laughter that keeps me sane, keeps everything in perspective when times are rough. When I’m having a hard time, I often seek out a funny movie to put me back on track. Laughter, as they say, is the best medicine.

Read and Rest – I love to read, but often choose working over reading. I have intentionally eked out some space in my day to read and rest, to read a bit and then ponder what the author is showing me. Words, images, ideas come flowing in, and I take a deep breath. I am connected now to my internal world and it makes me more curious and hopeful.

Peaceful Pen – I cannot seem to find the time during the week to write, so the weekends serve as my time to escape with my pen (or keyboard as the case may be). I wake up early each morning, look out the window past the meadow and woods, think about what is on my mind, and sit down to write for a few hours. I find that this time is essential for me. Without this writing time, I feel incomplete and unhappy. Writing is breathing to me.

Joy in Nature – Nature brings out the best in me. I am fortunate that I live in a place with nature all around: woods, farms, parks, and gardens. I regularly visit these places. When I’m in nature, beauty sinks into my skin, and I am reminded that I am a small part of this big, beautiful planet.

Beautiful Bouquet – I love flowers, all flowers. Okay, I admit tulips are my favorite. Yellow ones. I’m glad for that because roses are very expensive. Roses are beautiful too, but I like something more subtle, like wildflowers in the summer. In February, I stop off before work and buy myself a simple bouquet of tulips for my desk. They last over a week and every time I look at them, the remind me to pause and rest for a moment.

Café Life – I’ve been finding time before and after work stop by local cafes. I choose a different one throughout the week. It is like going on a little adventure. Most times, I have to take out and run, but when there is more time, I sit down and savor my favorite drink, cupping it in my hands and breathing in the aroma.

Sweet Indulgence – Chocolate. I love chocolate. I eat way too much chocolate. Instead of consuming lots of chocolate throughout the day (someone put a bowl of candy in the faculty room)! I’ve decided to show a little self-control and choose one sweet indulgence each week. This is not your run of the mill candy bar. This is a sumptuous, decadent dessert. It something planned, something to look forward to.

Meditate to Rejuvenate – I am learning to slow my monkey mind and meditate. It is not comfortable for me. I’ve been teaching a 4^th grader how to meditate to help calm her monkey mind. It wasn’t until meditating with her that I realized how important it is to take a few minutes out of the day to center oneself. After meditating for 5 minutes, my body felt suddenly relaxed, and my mind was refreshed. I didn’t feel overwhelmingly tired with the need for my afternoon coffee.

Step it up! I rush around all day and sit all night. I’ve decided to change my couch potato habit and get up and move. I may stretch, do tai chi, dance in my socks, or practice martial arts with my husband. But my daily activity is walking. I love to walk in the woods, but when I can’t do that, I walk in town to window shop and people gaze.

Artistic Spark – Drawing, painting, weaving, sewing, creating collages is something that has brought me joy since I was young. I don’t need to be the best artist. I just let the materials take me where they want me to go, and I find that as I move my hand, my whole body and mind relaxes. I get into the artistic flow and everything else disappears.

Soak Away Stress – You know those luxurious bathrooms with the deep marble tubs or the beautiful jacuzzi looking over the sea? No – I don’t have either one. But I have a deep need to soak away stress, so I bought myself a little footbath and some fragrant bath salts for my tired feet. At least once a week, I fill up the footbath with warm water, sprinkle in the bath salts, and breathe in lavender and sage.In a few minutes, my feet feel loved.

Make Time for Music – Even though I have not one ounce of musical talent, I love music. I listen, I sing along, I hum throughout the day. The world needs more music. I remember going to a Broadway musical with my mother and refusing to leave when the show was over because I wanted life to be a musical. I was twenty-three at the time! I just don’t understand why we can’t just break out into song. And so – music accompanies me everywhere I go. It helps me think, and it allows me to relax.

Random Act of Kindness – The best way I know to feel joy and love is to spread it to others. Each day, I conscientiously make sure I perform an act of Kindness for someone else. It doesn’t have to be a grand, bold gesture. It can be as simple as a smile!

A More Beautiful Question Revisited

February 5, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ Leave a comment

Almost a decade after reading Warren Berger’s A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas, I decided to re-read it, since it is such a thought-provoking book. I’m reading it in little pieces now, savoring each idea! One nugget I read this week was about the amount of questions children ask. Young children begin asking “WHY?” and they don’t stop! Why is the sky blue? Why can you see the moon during the day? Why do rabbits’ teeth keep growing? The world is a large place, and little children want to know all about it. That’s why I became an early childhood teacher 42 years ago. That’s what I love about visiting the early childhood and elementary classrooms: children keep asking questions, more and more questions.! Of course, that can be exhausting, and you may run out of patience, but that process of asking questions is what separates us from all other species on Earth! And you know what happens as children get older? Yes – you are right – they stop asking questions!

Berger noted that questioning “falls off a cliff” as kids become older. A Gallup Poll revealed that as students’ progress through the grades, their questioning plummets (76% in elementary school to 44% in high school). Instead of wondering, older students are busy gathering information and spitting it back in a rote manner. This leads to massive disengagement from learning. I was not very surprised by this information, but it did lead me to think and question the classroom practices I observe each week:

How do we use student questions to spark interest in a topic?
Can the “parking lot” technique be used to display student questions and be a springboard for discussion?
Can we have students generate questions from our essential questions?
Do adults feel like they need to know the answers to all student questions?
What do teachers do when they don’t know the answer?
How comfortable are we as adults to ask questions?

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

By honoring students’ questions, teachers facilitate learning, which is relevant and motivates students to question further and seek out possibilities pertaining to any subject. To be curious and to question is intrinsic to learning. Berger quotes research scientist, John Seely Brown who explains that “…if you’re comfortable questioning, experimenting, connecting things – then change is something that becomes an adventure. And if you can see it as an adventure, then you’re off and running.”

This adventurous spirit reminds me of a time when one of my young three-year-old students was outside playing. He suddenly looked up at the sky and was enthralled by the presence of the moon. He could not take his eyes off the moon and wondered why it was out in the daytime. In his experience, the moon only came out at night, and now all that he had come to know was in question. That was an important moment for him as a learner, and it was an important moment for me as a young teacher. I could have patted his head, given him a cursory answer, and brought his attention back to something tangible like the sandbox. Instead, I listened and encouraged his questions and helped him to better understand the workings of the universe. Indeed, this young boy’s curiosity sparked weeks of learning about the nature of the sky for all his classmates. We read countless books about the moon, created a moon surface, made a mural of the phases of the moon, and even built our own lunar explorer.

Teaching is at its most effective when it promotes risk-taking and relentless experimentation, which is the true heart of constructivist teaching. When teachers and students start asking open-ended questions such as: What do we want to learn? Why do we want to learn it? How will we go about learning it? How will we show what we’ve learned? – They are constructing curiosity, which will become a lifelong process. This approach affords multiple avenues for learning, giving teachers and students freedom to learn in a personal, creative, and active way.

Did I piqued your curiosity? Do you ave more questions? You might want to read and investigate a little further.

Books by Warren Berger

A More Beautiful Question

Beautiful Questions in the Classroom

The Book of Beautiful Questions

Visit Warren’s Blog:

Want to inspire more curiosity and inquiry in kids?

Celebration in the Wonder Studio: Lunar New Year

January 29, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 4 Comments

A dozen girls gather at recess time to work in the Wonder Studio. They are in the midst of painting, decorating, and constructing projects of their choice. This week, I added a box in the shape of a dragon’s head to celebrate Lunar New year. I quickly cut the box to look like a dragon with a wide pointed-tooth grin. The girls collected some found objects to make the dragon’s eyes, nostrils, and teeth. Then we all took turns collaging bright colored tissue paper all over the head in layers upon layers. Once completed, the dragon would be hung right outside their classrooms to celebrate Lunar New Year.

I have done this dragon project with countless students over several decades. I love this tradition because it always sparks children’s imaginations and makes the classroom atmosphere festive. I think the best way for young children to learn about other cultures is through celebrations (food, storytelling, and art). These are powerful ways in which to hold memories. When I was a classroom teacher, this art project would be the anchor for deep research into the holiday and the Asian culture. We read widely and began to understand these cultures and traditions more organically.

These days, I’ve noticed that with more and more emphasis on curricular initiatives there seems to be less and less time to celebrate, less and less time for conversations, and less time for connection. The classrooms are a rush of activity, one lesson after the next – go, go, go. Don’t stop. Don’t think. Don’t feel the struggle and joy in learning.

I’m glad I can eke out some time for kids to converse and create; some time to experiment and play; some time to celebrate the small things. They need to know the joy of taking a risk – of taking a cardboard box and transforming into something whimsical. There is magic held within that simple box, and I want children to experience that creative power.

As they worked, they began asking questions about Lunar New Year. They began talking to each other naturally. Some of them knew quite a bit about the holiday and supplied lots of information with facts and personal experiences. Questions grew and so did the students’ understanding. They wanted to know more. They wanted to become part of the celebration.

Books About Lunar New Year

3rd Grade Makers: Creating in the Wonder Studio

January 24, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 3 Comments

Sometimes the best learning environment

for students isn’t a bunch of devices powered by Wi-Fi,

sometimes it’s a huge pile of cardboard

powered by pure imagination.

-Krissy Venosdale

It’s January, and it’s finally time for the 3^rd graders to have time in the Wonder Studio during recess. They are beyond excited. I look out onto a sea of eager faces, and they are literally bouncing with energy. I gather them on the porch before we venture inside, “Listen please. I’m giving you two sets of directions: Number one – go into my office, take off your coats, and put them on the chairs on the left side of the room. Number two – Then go into the Wonder Studio and sit on the steps. When you are all seated, I will give you a guided tour of what we have in the Wonder Studio today.”

To my surprise, they quieted down immediately, listened to my directions, and followed them to a T. Note to self: when something is dearly important to children, they will tune in and engage in the process with their whole hearts and curious minds. The 3^rd graders have been patiently waiting for this day. The 5th graders participated in October and November, the 4th graders participated in November and December, and now it is their turn. The quota for each session was 9 students. Every single 3^rd graders signed up to participate! In order to give everyone a chance, so I increased the quota to 12 students per session. The studio is a very small space. I crossed my fingers and hoped that this group could navigate the room and materials without too much chaos. To my delight, they got right to work, setting up their spaces and helping each other. Long before this day, they had been thinking hard about what they wanted to create. Soon, the studio was abuzz with activity.

Carlie wanted a small box, which I found for her. “I’m making a bed,” she declared.

Francee wanted a bigger box and some cardboard. “What are you making?” I asked.

“A hotel for my scrunchies,” she said, holding up three colorful fabric scrunchies.

I laughed. I had never thought of making a hotel for scrunchies. I marveled at her creativity.

Francee’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she soon had two classmates helping her construct the hotel. It had three floors created with plastic strawberry baskets and needlepoint canvas.

Some people would observe this scene and define it as childish. I suppose it is, but childish not in a dismissive and frivolous way. When I think of the word childish, I think of creativity, imagination, a great sense of play, adventure, and wonder. The studio session captured these childish times: a child painting paper plates with bright colors, another child duct-taping blocks together to make her own version of a Rubik’s cube, and yet another child stringing beads and wooden snowflakes together to make a winter garland.

Carlie has returned to request a stapler. “What do you need it for?” I ask. I’ve learned to ask this question because often students do not request the tool that they actually need. In this case, Carlie wanted the stapler to “sew” pillows for her bed. I looked at the tiny fabric squares in her hand. She had put a cotton ball in each square and showed me where she wanted to staple. “May I show you something?’ I asked her gently. She nodded her head. “Staples are not the best tool for making pillows. Let’s try sewing instead. Would you like me to teach you how to do it?” Carlie nodded again. We worked together to sew two small pillows perfectly for her cardboard bed. “Do I have time to make a quilt?” Carlie asked. “Next session,” I promise.

I looked at the clock. “We have five minutes to clean up,” I announce to the girls. They moan in unison. “I know. I know. You have done excellent work. There will be more time next week.” They slowly complied, as I stood directing where to put palettes and paint brushes. Someone had spilled some water and others come to her aid. We found space for paintings to dry and beads to stay organized. Francee’s hotel was put on a high shelf, as was Carlie’s bed.

This childish time is essential, so nourishing. I know it, and the girls know it. We have formed a strong bond. There is such satisfaction, such a sense of purpose when making something with your own two hands out of your own wild imagination. We all want to stay here in the Wonder Studio just a little longer.

Stirring the Senses – Part 2

January 17, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 4 Comments

Last week, I planned a winter sensory poetry lesson for out 2^nd graders. I decided to start with a slideshow of winter photographs and then brainstorm words that they might use in their poems. My goal was to quickly set them off to write so they’d have plenty of time to compose their poems and share them.

This week, I executed my plan. As I presented the slideshow, the girls looked intently at the photographs, which were a mix of nature scenes and people and animals in the snow. After watching silently, they shared their ideas as I wrote them down. We were collecting sensory words from what we had seen in the photos. The words would act as a jumping off point to create images for their poems.

Before they began to write, they asked some questions. One girl asked if she could use rhymes and I nodded my head. She sparked an idea in my head because I don’t normally compose rhyming poems. Since I always write when the children write, I decided to challenge myself and write a rhyming sensory poem. I think it is an important part of the writing process for children to see adults writing alongside children. I made sure the girls were all actively thinking and writing, and then I sat down with my own ideas. One student came over to see what I was writing, but I quickly redirected her to her own writing and told her that I would share at the end of class.

As the children wrote, I circled the room looking at their poetry and making observations that I thought would nudge their writing further.

That’s an interesting idea! You’re making an acrostic.
Wow! You are using such strong verbs.
Oh, you are including lots of sound words.

Like each child, like each snowflake, each poem was different, exquisite in its creation. They took their experiences of snow and thought about how it looked, smelled, sounded, tasted, and felt. They thought hard, they experimented with words, and they formed meaning to share with others. This time to play is necessary and important for writers. It connected what they have been reading, to what they have experienced, to what they have learned about composing a poem.

2nd Grade Poets: Stirring the Senses

January 9, 2023January 9, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ Leave a comment

My colleague and friend asked me to cover one of her 2^nd grade writing classes this coming week. I eagerly accepted. I was given two choices: monitor the winter writing assessment or teach a lesson on winter sensory poems. The decision was an easy one for me. Given the choice, I would pick poetry every single time. And poetry with 2^nd graders? Nothing could bring more joy!

I have been introducing young children to poetry for many decades, so I jumped at the chance to teach again and this time try a new approach. I spent the weekend thinking about ways to introduce sensory poems, which would engage these small, curious minds. I know that the best plan of action is to speak briefly, make it visual, and step out of the way. Though, I often want to explain and read example after example, I have found that children have poetry squirming inside of them ready to jump out, and all teachers have to do is invite them to think, wonder, play, and create.

To prepare for the lesson, I sat down and thought about how to construct a winter sensory poem. I summoned my beginner’s mind. I thought about the taste of winter. Images swelled up inside me, and I quickly wrote the last stanza first. Since there were four lines in the stanza and five senses, I then knew the format of this poem would be five stanza with a total of twenty lines. I don’t normally write poems thinking of the structure, but this is the way “First Snow” presented itself to me.

First Snow

At the edge of the woods
Tall trees stand
Ina a swaying silhouette
Bracing winter winds.

Their boughs creak and thrum
Creating a winter rasping rhythm
Birds stay silent on branches
Muffled by their puffed feathers.

The clouds are as gray and thick
As chimney smoke.
The air is frozen-still 
And smells like snow.

Soon snowflakes whirl,
Dancing on noses and fingertips
Before drifting to the ground.
Flake, upon flake, upon flake.

A faint taste of salt
Is on my cold, cracked lips.
I wrap my arms around myself
And dream of the sweetness of spring.

Of course, I wouldn’t expect children to work in this way. However, going through the process again like it was my first time, helped me to better understand how to present sensory poetry to the children. And it reminded me that the process of both teaching and writing poetry should not be rigid with formulas and rules. When poetry is presented as play, then children have a much easier time adopting it and making it their own.

My plan was simple. I will set the mood with a slideshow of winter scenes. Then, we will generate a list of words that express the sights of sounds of winter, which I will write on a chart so the children can reference it during poetry construction. And then, I will invite the children to start writing. Mid-workshop, I plan to invite students to read their poems in progress. I think this helps young writers keep the revision process in focus and playful.

As they finish their poems, they will read them to each other, further revise, and finally set their poems down on fresh paper. Since they are 2^nd graders, they will want to illustrate their poems. Indeed, I anticipate one or two reluctant poets will need to draw first and then create a poem from their image. As with the first snow of the season, I wait eagerly in anticipation for Tuesday afternoon with our 2^nd grade poets.

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