Ruth Paisley, Supervisor
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
Beaver Lake Education Center
Maplewood, Minnesota
How do you get preschoolers with special needs ready for reading? At Beaver Lake Education Center, you work in teams, supporting the children with art-making, family participation, literacy activities and something to take home. You start with a book—such as the Keats-illustrated poem Over in the Meadow.
For this program, each class was assigned a page to storyboard and collage. Learning a range of techniques from finger painting to papier-maché, the children assembled the 4-by-8-foot storyboards together. Two Family Literacy Nights provided an opportunity to show off their artwork and new skills, and share reading and writing activities with their families. Everyone took home a booklet of the children’s artwork and the verses of Over in the Meadow to read and sing together.
