I have been following No Time for Flash Cards for a very long time now and one thing I know about Allie is that she loves a good quality children’s book. So I thought I would share a fun little book we recently explored in my preschool classroom… There is a theater improvisation game called Props. (If you ever watched Whose Line Is It Anyway? on British or American television you will have seen it.) It consists of taking an item (or box of items) and using each item in a way other than what you would expect. A folding chair can become a surfboard or a knight's shield or an elegant, old-fashioned wig, etc. This picture book is a great way to introduce that type of improvisation (whether physically or through writing) to very young children or to students who may have had little experience challenging their imaginations to think in ways other than the expected. Also, something else troubles me about this book. It's an adult's responsibility to teach children about objective reality, how the world works; teach them about consequences.

If you think letting kids get away with disrespectful behavior is a cute thing to do now, when raising a child? I have news for you. Want more preschool lesson plans and thematic activities? Our Build Preschool Thematic Units have tons of great ideas!I can see how lovers of art for art's sake will find this book both charming and creative. So I'll give it FIVE STARS.

When I was 11 years old I remember struggling to understand the concept of a metaphor. There is a wonderful poem, The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes which opens with three super metaphorical descriptions to set the scene… When you are finished, say “Scene!” nice and loud. This lets the audience know you are done acting. This fashionably simple book has Rabbit encouraging young children to explore imaginary worlds whilst sitting in a cardboard box – on land or water or up into space. Great fun.” Carousel Reflection: Students can reflect on how they made choices about using their bodies, voices, and imaginations. Transition into Activity

Curriculum

Celebrating the imagination, cleverly -- that's the special excellence of this book. Both written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis.

As a follow up, undertake a simple activity like a leaf slide show. The children study the patterns and structure of leaves by holding them up to the sunlight. What does the vein pattern below remind you of? A star? The skin of an alien? Ask the Teachers or Paraprofessionals to give it a try right after you, so students see multiple variations before trying it themselves. However, my difficulty, as a child was that I felt I could never achieve the brilliance of this poet. In many ways it was a top-down approach to learning about metaphor, beginning with the finest examples and then, me and the rest of the class trying desperately hard to mimic at a sub-standard level the concept in our own writing. So one thing I’m keen to do, is to introduce metaphor from a bottom-up approach starting with what children do best… From here, children can research traditional sayings and idioms that use metaphors and learn about what they mean. Ones that spring to mind include:If a student has an idea, but does not want to act it out, the student can give the idea to a student who does want to act it out. A fantastic independent or read-aloud, this book will challenge the imaginations of those who engage theirs regularly and will help springboard those who have yet to experience the dizzying heights of their own creations--at any age. If you are interested in finding simple picture books like this to springboard imagination in physical or writing improvisation you can also try two of my favorites by Laura Numeroff (of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie renown):

Fun Outdoor Activity Ideas, a handy resource listing 100 fun outdoor activities for children. Some can be done independently and others will need an adult to supervise and join in with the fun. Many of these activities can be completed using natural things often found outside like leaves, twigs or pebbles. Mr Twig Pencil Control Worksheets, a fun resource that allows children to develop their fine motor skills independently. With the fun characters and different patterns, children are able to sit and discuss how the character is moving while following the dotted line with their pencil. Whether you are a parent or a teacher, I would love to invite you to stop by Teach Preschool and see some of the other books and activities I share on my blog that young children will enjoy both at home or in the classroom!

However, I am not the intended audience. And I feel strongly NOT to recommend this particular book. Here's why. This theater game builds community and encourages students to expand their ideas of what something could be by acting it out. Directions