Thursday, September 16, 2010

Listening to The Crayons


Another sign of fall in our house, as in many houses across the nation, is the appearance of brand new boxes of crayons, all sharp, and begging to be used.

I was glad to find in Patricia Hubbard's My Crayons Talk, that we are not the only ones who feel that way.



A little girl hears her crayons speak.

Purple shouts, "Yum! Bubble gum."
Brown sings, "Play, Mud-pie day."

Leading very nicely for the reader to ask, "What are my crayons saying to me?"

I was curious how the children would answer. But, instead of asking them, I unrolled a sheet of butcher paper, across the floor (after moving the table, and chairs out of the way), and placed fresh, new boxes of crayons, here and there, so they could speak to the children on their own terms.

I snapped a couple of quick pictures, and then went off to fold the laundry. I've found, our crayons speak louder, when I'm not in the room.


And sadly, they had nothing to say to the older children, at all, today. The little ones, though, were quite content to lose themselves in the conversation.


For more story stretching, arts and crafts, click over to this week's stART (story + ART) link-up, at A Mommy's Adventures.

Or, click here, for a Webbing Into Literacy, preschool, printable, extension for My Crayons Talk (and many other picture books), from the University of Virginia.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

9 comments:

  1. This is a great way to opening up creativity. The book sounds good. Our crayons talked too, they said we need new crayons, as they went snap snap snap!

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  2. I love your approach to "leave them to it", hands off definitely is a good idea sometimes. Nevermind that they crayons didn't speak to the older kids this time!

    And love that huge roll of paper!!


    Maggy
    PS Link up to this week's Kids Get Crafty? http://www.redtedart.com/2010/09/15/kids-craft-the-mona-lisa/

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  3. Gotta love the butcher paper for those banner crafts. If my daughter were there, she would have gladly joined in. Her crayons are hardly ever quiet.

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  4. The book sounds very cute. We have read The Crayon Box That Talked - also an excellent book. Too bad that older kids didn't want to talk to crayons, but I liked the people that your little ones drew and the picture of them together.

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  5. I can remember getting a new box of crayons as a kid, almost heaven. I love how you rolled out so much paper. I'm going to give it a try.

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  6. I just found this book at the library too. I love the way you rolled out that long paper and let them cover it all.

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  7. We will have to do this. The older children don't know what they are missing; I find coloring to be SO very relaxing.

    They look so content coloring!!

    Is your house always that clean???? I have half as many children and twice the mess.

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  8. In answering Christy's question, Yes, her house is ALWAYS that clean!! I don't know how she does it!! Cute idea Leah. Are those the apple trees in the corner?

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  9. Marcee - I've told you before, it might look clean, but just don't look too close, or open any of the cupboards :)

    Yes, those are the apple trees. We finally got around to transplanting them. They went into a bit of shock, but I think they're pulling through.

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