The Art of Reading

The Art of Reading
During the summer months, the children in The REAL Program have been lucky enough to work with two dedicated students from the Montserrat College of Art, Phoebe Warner and Daniel Stone. Under the tutelage of Susan Handler, Community Outreach Coordinator of the college, Phoebe and Dan took the children into the world of art as seen through specific books and their authors and illustrators. They were exposed to the art of map making as Phoebe and Dan read them Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney and Annette Crosby. They used their imaginations as they took that journey started fifty years ago by Crocker Johnson with Harold and the Purple Crayon. They went back even further as they learned about dinosaurs with Donald and Carol Carrick's book, Whatever Happened to Patrick's Dinosaur?. The children shared some fossils from Susan's personal collection and delightedly played with clay to make their own. They even dabbled in role playing with Dan as they drew their version of footprints and imagined how those beasts of old lived. The culmination of the summer session, alas too soon, was to work with color and the children and their mentors did not disappoint,. Using the book, The Color Box by Dayle Ann Dodds and illustrated by local artist Giles Laro

che, the children could visit the world of color with a little monkey, named Alexander. Here the children reproduced large color panels and travelled through the rainbow colors like Alexander.

These children shared an experience not often available to them and we all thank Phoebe, Dan and Susan for their enthusiasm, hard work and love. It was a great summer!

Betsy Brown

Betsy Brown is a teacher/mentor known as Mrs. Brown who brings more than 40 years of teaching experience to The REAL Program, Inc.