tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15127052422012512532024-03-13T19:41:13.190-07:00boys can write101 creative ideas to encourage boys to read and writearthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-85417803525657347922011-01-17T12:16:00.000-08:002011-01-17T12:21:25.893-08:00Customised trainers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TTSgy5wKW9I/AAAAAAAABA4/mmbP6HXqWps/s1600/peacemaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TTSgy5wKW9I/AAAAAAAABA4/mmbP6HXqWps/s320/peacemaker.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday Phil and I started the first of 5 workshops for </span><a href="http://arthur-and-martha.blogspot.com/2011/01/peacemaker.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Bubble Project.</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of the creative ideas we introduced to the children was </span></i><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">customising trainers</span></i></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. We had a selection of trainers, some kindly donated from my sons School (Hayfield Primary) which I had whitewashed, and some the Young Carers had brought in. Inspired by their paintings from earlier in the day and street art, they created their own moveable artworks. </span></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TTSgwstrmLI/AAAAAAAABA0/pLRy5XkshrU/s1600/spraying+shoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TTSgwstrmLI/AAAAAAAABA0/pLRy5XkshrU/s320/spraying+shoe.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some ideas you might like to try:</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Write this poem FAST. Imagine that you can run faster than any human being has ever run before, faster than any car, so fast that you can fly. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Write one line or more in answer to each of these questions. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What does it feel like to run at amazing speed? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where would you run to? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would you like to leave behind? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where would you finally come to rest? </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TTSgpTVCcyI/AAAAAAAABAw/-kTgurQeDq0/s1600/writing+on+trainer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TTSgpTVCcyI/AAAAAAAABAw/-kTgurQeDq0/s320/writing+on+trainer.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a go at writing your poem on a trainer, here's how: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TRAINER CUSTOMISATION</span><br />
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<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Choose your trainers (make sure you've had permission from a grown up before you paint or draw on them!)</span></li>
</ol><ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You might want to give yourself a white blank space to work with. If so, paint on some of the white emulsion paint first, let it dry before doing any more painting.</span></li>
</ol><ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you do anything to your soon-to-be-customized trainers, its best to do a rough sketch of your plan on paper. This will help you to visualize your masterpiece before you start working with permanent paints.</span></li>
</ol><ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Choose your materials, permanent markers work really well, and you could add sequins, jewels, badges, safety pins.... Based on your sketch, choose the right size pen tip for your image. The thinner the tip the easier it will be to draw details and get to hard to reach spaces. Thicker tips are great for filling in larger areas.</span></li>
</ol><ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carefully create an outline of your design on your trainers, using a pencil or a fine tip pen. Only draw the basic patterns, leave the details for later. Do you want to have matching trainers? If so place them side by side and make sure everything looks well defined and symmetrical. </span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun with the colouring in. Carefully start with the lightest colours, save the darkest for last so you can cover any mistakes near to the end. When you’ve filled in our outline, make sure its completely dry before adding detail and any outlines you may want.</span></li>
</ol><ol start="7" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you like add some extra’s like the Jewels or feathers… Make sure all the paint is completely dry before adding extra’s. Things like safety pin, badges etc can be added for a bit of punk if you fancy.</span></li>
</ol><ol start="8" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put them somewhere safe to dry, and don’t touch for a day and night!</span><o:p></o:p></li>
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</span>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-73039022681826109182011-01-07T06:50:00.000-08:002011-01-07T06:53:06.804-08:00New Year Acrostic Print Poem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>I had intended to do lots of 'boys can write' activities with Joe over the holiday, however in reality time was taken up by eating, presents, friends and knackering, unstoppable energy from Joe, he just doesn't quit talking or moving, I was glad to drop him of at school on Tuesday!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>We did just find time to create a New Year Acrostic, printed poem. Joe got a fantastic Alphabet Stamp Set in his stocking at Christmas, (I believe you can get them also from </i><a href="http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?V=1&Sec=16&Sub=68"><i>Muji</i></a><i>) which he used to print his poem.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TSSFRO68TgI/AAAAAAAABAU/_t0wUukKQyc/s1600/new+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TSSFRO68TgI/AAAAAAAABAU/_t0wUukKQyc/s320/new+year.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a variation of the traditional <i><a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/11/acrostic-poems.html">Acrostic</a></i> poem (where each line of the poem would start with a word written vertically) This time Joe used the downward written word in the beginning, middle and ends of this horizontal words. He simply wrote his wishes for the New Year. An older child could develop this with New Years resolutions. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I like the way he has started creating more diversions, adding a vertical <i>Love</i> to the line <i>Lego Land</i>. Rules in poetry and art are definitely made to be broken... </div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-62245183769891027812010-12-02T12:19:00.000-08:002010-12-02T12:24:19.703-08:00Snowflake poems<i>When Joe had finely defrosted from the sledging (his feet where nearly frost bitten) we worked on some snow poems. He had a go at writing a description of the cold and a snowflake and couldn't resist doing another Acrostic. Inspired by the snow itself, we used wax resist for writing/drawing. The wax resist was a great hit, like writing hidden secrete spy messages...</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TPfMRJBeO7I/AAAAAAAABAM/lg2TEgYqNxo/s1600/wax+snowflake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TPfMRJBeO7I/AAAAAAAABAM/lg2TEgYqNxo/s1600/wax+snowflake.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's snowflake, concrete poem</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN WAX RELIEF SNOWFLAKE POEM</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You will need a white wax crayon, paper, pen or pencil, paint or ink. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>Think about being out in the snow; what's it like to touch, how does it taste, what size are snowflakes, what sounds can you hear, how does it make you feel, what can you see when you look very closely?</li>
<li>Write down (or ask someone else to write for you) your list of descriptive words</li>
<li>Have a look at pictures of snowflakes patterns in a book, or on the internet</li>
<li>With a pencil, draw a faint outline of a snowflake on your paper</li>
<li>With a wax white wax crayon, write your favorite snowy words onto the outline of the snowflake, change the direction of the paper, you can hold the paper up to the light to see where you have written if you get lost</li>
<li>With some watery paint or ink, brush over your wax and like magic the writing should appear! </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TPfMN5Pwa9I/AAAAAAAABAE/dXljD2vmwPg/s1600/freezin+soft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TPfMN5Pwa9I/AAAAAAAABAE/dXljD2vmwPg/s320/freezin+soft.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snow flake</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Joe wrote a lovely short descriptive poem <i>'snow flake'</i> using the wax resist technique:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">freezing</div><div style="text-align: left;">soft</div><div style="text-align: left;">light as a feather</div><div style="text-align: left;">wet</div><div style="text-align: left;">now its gone</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>(I liked his spelling mistake, on his wax version he wrote father instead of feather!)</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-83291411119696445242010-12-02T02:19:00.000-08:002010-12-02T02:19:50.665-08:00Reception teaching<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Like many schools Joe's is closed today due to the snow. I'm planning to do some writing with him later, using paintbrushes and food colouring writing directly into the snow (the cold should focus the mind and body) poor thing, I'm sure he's just imagining making snow men and sledging... In the meantime, below is an interview I did with a wonderful Reception Teacher, Mrs Horne.</i> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The problems can arise for boys when they realise (when sounding out the words using phonics) that there’s certain ways to spell, the rules. This can put them off writing, they don’t want to get it wrong or take risks. It hinders them when they can’t spell; it’s the perfectionist in them.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s not a new problem, for example my husband hates to put pen to paper- he reads difficult books, but won’t even write a Christmas card! Some boys can read, but not write, they don’t want to risk it and get it wrong.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In Reception we say if you want to write lying on the floor that’s ok. We have a collection of clipboards for them. One little boy who didn’t write, I invited him to climb a tree and write up there. He did and when he came down he wrote in the classroom as well! Last week when he climbed the tree, he asked if he could write up there! It’s about capturing their imagination.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Children at our school, have very good vocabulary, people are surprised when they still have problems with their writing. We try to find their own way of learning buts that’s very hard. Getting parents involved is great, as the children can’t have that one-to-one at school- not with class sizes as they are.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What helps? Writing wherever they want, lying on their tummy, sitting on the floor or kneeling down with clipboards. From very early on children are very aware of grown ups watching them and other children looking and comparing. They can easily loose their confidence. I encourage parents not to compare their children’s reading book stage with others, not to compete with other parents, not to get caught in that trap. It’s about building up the children’s self esteem, what THEY CAN DO, not what another child can do. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Writing on different surfaces and sizes of paper, really large writing on white boards, (you can always photograph/photocopy it and put it in their school books). This helped one boy I worked with, as he could rub it out quickly if he made a mistake. Alternatively you could try asking them to write using really tiny writing- see how small they can make their writing so it can still be read, using a magnifying glass if necessary. Small writing will also play to their secretive sides, just like writing under a table, they can hide away, and not feel self-conscious. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mrs B Horne, Reception Teacher, Hayfield Primary School.<o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment-->arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-56776280709924662192010-11-30T05:04:00.000-08:002010-11-30T05:04:57.352-08:00Acrostic PoemsRecently Joe and I have really been struggling with writing, so it was exciting that yesterdays task went down so well, he embraced the idea and was creative and productive. I suspect the delight for Joe was the simplicity of the form, the fun, game playing, puzzle making, silliness and he got to do some decorative writing!<br />
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<b>Acrostic poems are easy to write, the first letter, syllable or word of each line in the poem spells out a word or message. Good for writing secrete coded</b> <b>messages!</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TPTxPc5uE1I/AAAAAAAABAA/i1Jw6J3Zlmg/s1600/sister+Arostic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TPTxPc5uE1I/AAAAAAAABAA/i1Jw6J3Zlmg/s320/sister+Arostic.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Joe's wrote about his sister;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Silly</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Infant</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Trip</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Electric</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Roar!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. choose a word for your subject, it could be a name, or an activity...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. write that word in big bold letters vertically going down the side of your piece of paper (or you could cut letters out of newspapers or magazines and stick them down.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. think of lots of words that fit with the subject, don't worry if they fit with the letters, list as many as you can think of</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. look through your list of words, and think about how they could fit in the poem</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. when you're sure write them down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>In Lewis Caroll's Through the Looking-Glass, the final chapter is an acrostic of the real Alice's name: Alice Pleasance Liddell.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b>A</b> boat, beneath a sunny sky<br />
<b>L</b>ingering onward dreamily<br />
<b>I</b>n an evening of July -<br />
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<b>C</b>hildren three that nestle near,<br />
<b>E</b>ager eye and willing ear,<br />
<b>P</b>leased a simple tale to hear -<br />
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<b>L</b>ong has paled that sunny sky:<br />
<b>E</b>choes fade and memories die:<br />
<b>A</b>utumn frosts have slain July.<br />
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<b>S</b>till she haunts me, phantomwise,<br />
<b>A</b>lice moving under skies<br />
<b>N</b>ever seen by waking eyes.<br />
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<b>C</b>hildren yet, the tale to hear,<br />
<b>E</b>ager eye and willing ear,<br />
<b>L</b>ovingly shall nestle near.<br />
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<b>I</b>n a Wonderland they lie,<br />
<b>D</b>reaming as the days go by,<br />
<b>D</b>reaming as the summers die:<br />
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<b>E</b>ver drifting down the stream -<br />
<b>L</b>ingering in the golden gleam -<br />
<b>L</b>ife, what is it but a dream?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-42860924903041737692010-11-24T01:36:00.000-08:002010-11-24T01:36:20.406-08:00Dear Father ChristmasIt's a real a slog sometimes motivating my son to write and I know I'm not alone. However I do believe there is one writing exercise that any boy who celebrates Christmas will be eager to get on with, that's writing their wish list for Father Christmas. It feels really early to me, (its not even December) but inspired by spotting the first Father Christmas of the season, Joe wrote his list. On one side he did a drawing, the other his list and a joke he made up for Father Christmas (he plans to leave the punch line out on Christmas Eve) On those days when every letter, every word is a struggle, its good to reflect on the ease of writing a wish list! and as one of his teachers said '<i>any writing is good writing.'</i><br />
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</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpOo2FaIFI/AAAAAAAAA_s/UblzRY_VrcI/s1600/father+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpOo2FaIFI/AAAAAAAAA_s/UblzRY_VrcI/s320/father+christmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpOq4Fl8uI/AAAAAAAAA_w/WIBgetod-IE/s1600/father+christmas+letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpOq4Fl8uI/AAAAAAAAA_w/WIBgetod-IE/s320/father+christmas+letter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-52835000772410659022010-11-22T03:35:00.000-08:002010-11-24T01:57:11.466-08:00learning to speak<i>Joe's little sister Minnie might not be speaking many comprehendible words, but everyday she understands a wider selection. We thought it would be a good idea to record some of these words for posterity, as my memory of dates of even the major milestones of Joe's life so far, seem to have disappeared.</i><br />
<br />
This exercise could be adapted for any younger relative or friend, or could be used to record the first words spoken.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpWDNdbYYI/AAAAAAAAA_8/cnKfP0-Eyrc/s1600/octopus+concrete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpWDNdbYYI/AAAAAAAAA_8/cnKfP0-Eyrc/s320/octopus+concrete.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><ol><li>Make a list of the words either spoken or understood by the younger child. The whole family can join in with this activity, taking the pressure of writing and spelling of the words.</li>
<li>Read through the list, and look for words that could make good pictures such as button, dog or ball.</li>
<li>Enjoy drawing the chosen shape- in Joe's case an octopus.</li>
<li>Write your list of words in the drawing, you can try turning the paper round in circles, changing the size of your letters, using colour, writing the words on a jagged line or a curved line.... in Joe's example instead of drawing the octopus's legs, he used the list of words</li>
<li>Keep your artwork as a reminder (for those with failing memories) of your little sister/brothers first steps into language.</li>
</ol>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-3218889532282912412010-11-10T11:13:00.000-08:002010-11-18T03:11:17.756-08:00monograms<b>A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters to form one symbol.</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrZaeNE7I/AAAAAAAAA98/K6IzqPEAUvY/s1600/artists+and+craftsmen%2527s+monograms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrZaeNE7I/AAAAAAAAA98/K6IzqPEAUvY/s320/artists+and+craftsmen%2527s+monograms.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">artists and craftspeople's monograms</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Throughout history, artists and craftspeople have signed their work in a number of ways, often with a monogram. Monograms first appeared in the West on coins, around 350BC. In China the tradition of signing your artwork with a stamp ('stampo') is very ancient. The same idea is used by graffiti artists to design their tags.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrriOR1E1I/AAAAAAAAA-Q/b3eyJkdLmgk/s1600/Virkotype+monograms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrriOR1E1I/AAAAAAAAA-Q/b3eyJkdLmgk/s1600/Virkotype+monograms.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Virkotype monograms</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>A really lovely exercise is to design your own monogram. You can try</b>:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">* Playing with your own initials by overlapping different sizes of letters</div></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">* Try different shapes outlining the monogram in circles, diamonds, squiggles...</div></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">* Use colour</div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">* Try designing a monogram for a friend or family member</div></div>* Next time you draw or paint a picture, sign it with your personal monogram.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrb4BMmMI/AAAAAAAAA-A/lPJCSrmsCdM/s1600/curly+Joe+monogram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrb4BMmMI/AAAAAAAAA-A/lPJCSrmsCdM/s320/curly+Joe+monogram.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's swirling monogram</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrc7zQzKI/AAAAAAAAA-E/TB3Vv6qoNwY/s1600/exploding+Joe+monogram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrc7zQzKI/AAAAAAAAA-E/TB3Vv6qoNwY/s320/exploding+Joe+monogram.jpg" width="248" /></a> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's exploding monogram</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For children who enjoy drawing and designing, this is a sideway step into to writing. They're beginning the process of writing without even realizing it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Exercises like these help to foster joy and delight in letter forms. Individual letters can be playful and played with and children can take ownership of them, banishing the fear and boredom from writing. </div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrfbTWYPI/AAAAAAAAA-I/aqxV1FyV0Nk/s1600/Joe%2527s+monogram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrfbTWYPI/AAAAAAAAA-I/aqxV1FyV0Nk/s1600/Joe%2527s+monogram.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's monogram</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrfwtT-KI/AAAAAAAAA-M/cZ1kXiJTgMc/s1600/Joe%2527s+spotty+monogram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNrrfwtT-KI/AAAAAAAAA-M/cZ1kXiJTgMc/s1600/Joe%2527s+spotty+monogram.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's initials, not truly a monogram as they're not joined into one whole, but still a lovely job - an artwork in its own right/write. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-14979647410836581732010-11-08T02:13:00.000-08:002010-11-13T02:09:20.602-08:00play with your food (and other spelling ideas)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year Joe's <b>spelling homework</b> is coming in thick and fast. We're finding the LOOK, SAY, COVER, WRITE AND CHECK method very effective, but I do like to try other methods to make things more interesting, less stressful and more pleasurable, for child and parent. Particularly the latter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNfHbIRvP1I/AAAAAAAAA94/AHpB3aFKMWI/s1600/about.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNfHbIRvP1I/AAAAAAAAA94/AHpB3aFKMWI/s320/about.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spaghetti ABOUT</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We've just had a go at spelling in spaghetti shapes; they looked great, but Joe found it difficult to concentrate, as he wanted to eat his spellings. Perhaps it would work better with a less hungry child. These spelling suggestions are based on the idea of using the MATERIAL of the words as an important part of their composition. A word made out of elastoplast, for instance, will tend to stick (ha ha) in the mind more readily than one written with the usual biro - especially if the material and the subject of the word complement each other. The sticking plaster word might be 'injury'.<br /><br /><b>Other ideas you could try: </b><br /><br />* Write the words on a black or white board.<br />* Write each word (or even the different parts of each) in a different colour and/or decorate the letters.<br />* Use chalk to write the words outside on the pavement, how big can you write your words?<br />* Use bath crayons or foam letters and decorate the bath with your spell list.<br />* Use Scrabble letter tiles to spell the words.<br />* Type your words on a computer, using your nose.<br />* Find sticks, pebbles, rock, leaves and create the words on the ground out of your found objects. <br />* Use your finger to spell out the word on a friend or family member's back, then take your turn to feel the words on your back.<br />* Use letter magnets, on the fridge or other metal surfaces.<br />* Write the words in sand, or in mud, or a steamy window, or snow.<br /><br />If you have any other creative ways to help with spelling practice that you could share, it would be great to hear about them. Spelling is never my favourite, so any tips will be welcomed as honoured guests. Phil is fine with spelling, but can't add numbers up - however that's a matter for a different blog.arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-72955898120357819942010-11-07T02:58:00.000-08:002010-11-30T05:05:56.242-08:00a lantern poem<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>We're </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>all a bit sleepy today, so struggled a bit with this, but we wanted to get it finished in time for Bonfire Night. We've used the ide<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">a of sending <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">wish into the sky a<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">nd mingled it with the names of star constellations. You can find the names, origin, pronunciation and star charts at <a href="http://www.iau.org/public/constellations/">http://www.iau.org/public/constellations/</a></span></span></span></span></span></i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaDxEe_NHI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Xfkt0aAxqWI/s1600/Joe+writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaDxEe_NHI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Xfkt0aAxqWI/s320/Joe+writing.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>m</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>aterials:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a paper sky lantern</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pen and paper</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>instructions:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Think<b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">about a wish for yourself and a wish for a friend, family member or the whole world. If you struggle with this, you could use the names of the star constellations for inspiration as Joe did on his example. Write a couple of ideas down (or get someone to write them down for you)</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaD2e4xZ0I/AAAAAAAAA9w/Xp6snT4H4k4/s1600/lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaD2e4xZ0I/AAAAAAAAA9w/Xp6snT4H4k4/s320/lantern.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Have a look through the list of star constellations, write down the names of any you like.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Cut up the lines of wishes and the names of constellations and swirl them up.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Write your ideas onto your lantern.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Wait till its dark, then light your lantern and send it up to your chosen constellation.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaDy8sIcbI/AAAAAAAAA9o/m0M15KQCPVs/s1600/Joe's+lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaDy8sIcbI/AAAAAAAAA9o/m0M15KQCPVs/s320/Joe's+lantern.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Joe wrote:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish for the phoenix spirit</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the wings of pegasus</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the teeth of canis major the great dog</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the horn of the unicorn</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the arms of cancer the crab</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the mane of leo the lion</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaD3tkHgUI/AAAAAAAAA90/LS5beShr4sg/s1600/letting+lantern+escape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaD3tkHgUI/AAAAAAAAA90/LS5beShr4sg/s320/letting+lantern+escape.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Other ideas: </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a four line wish including the names of four constellations and one astronomical instrument.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaDsKhsEzI/AAAAAAAAA9g/k9k78FZuZuM/s1600/in+distance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNaDsKhsEzI/AAAAAAAAA9g/k9k78FZuZuM/s320/in+distance.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-86812931044555700372010-11-05T05:11:00.000-07:002010-11-06T07:31:49.977-07:00A brain of a dream of a dog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Our first workshop in Warrington with young carers and children from Women’s Aid, mostly pre-teens, took place last Friday. An ice-breaker for all of us, we let the participants steer much of the session, building trust and emphasising playfulness. By getting a sense of the group when they were relaxed, we were able to gauge how they might be able to explore more deeply.</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQEjZgfXyI/AAAAAAAAA9M/1b5cObFKQ_c/s1600/halloween+plaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #5588aa; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQEjZgfXyI/AAAAAAAAA9M/1b5cObFKQ_c/s320/halloween+plaster.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">concrete poem on a plaster</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The art-room in </span><a href="http://www.foundation4peace.org/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Warrington Peace Centre</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> was set up with separate spaces for five different exercises, plus extra materials from Derek</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://museum.warrington.gov.uk/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Warrington Museum and Art Gallery</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">) </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">who had commissioned this initial workshop and came to lend his support. We would try overwriting, fold-in and some variants on concrete poetry and collage, using pens, postcards and stencils. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQEAL_BfYI/AAAAAAAAA9A/ohFrmXLu-es/s1600/the+dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #5588aa; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQEAL_BfYI/AAAAAAAAA9A/ohFrmXLu-es/s320/the+dead.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Dead</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The intention was to build on this session in order to run further workshops focussed on text/art self-portraits. It was also a chance for Derek to see us in action and decide if our approach fitted the group. Because the first session was on the doorstep of Halloween, the young carers arrived in their finest, witchiest costumes and face-paint. We decided to busk along this theme, using the excuse of spookiness to explain the weird effect of some of the pieces.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQD_YREYUI/AAAAAAAAA88/Lanlc_wrhnw/s320/spooky+world.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="225" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Spooky World</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Overwriting (a la Bob Grenier) combined with ‘wrong hand’ writing, was used to create badges with a 50s horror movie flavour. We hope to come back to this ‘wrong hand’ technique again, with the group exploring the push/pull between positive and negative self-image. <a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/11/drop-in-workshop-and-screaming-badge.html">Badges</a> are a form of self-labelling; these ones were essentially fancy dress, the equivalent of a ghost mask, but the same method can be used to go deeper under the surface. For this day, the big success was the enthusiasm which met these little bits of mini-writing. An industrious girl made six badges and clinked as she walked away at the end of the afternoon.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQEncYTPbI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/8x1YWhh50kU/s1600/scary+face+stencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #5588aa; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQEncYTPbI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/8x1YWhh50kU/s320/scary+face+stencil.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Stencil Face</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The <a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/10/stencil-faces.html">concrete poem faces</a> were very simple, game-like. Again, this was an easy way into a technique that is extraordinarily expressive; we will return to it. One of the delights was that a young girl F who had literacy problems was able to make a witty poetic piece, completely unhampered by (and unaware of) her spelling.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">F also contributed beautifully to the largest piece of the day, a cross-section of a brain that people wrote dream fragments into (this was the fold-in writing). F wrote a short sentence, needing letter-by-letter guidance. “What else can I do?” she asked.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Can you draw?” I enquired.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQFYBynKkI/AAAAAAAAA9c/-pDExJaon6w/s1600/a+dogs+dream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #5588aa; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQFYBynKkI/AAAAAAAAA9c/-pDExJaon6w/s320/a+dogs+dream.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A Brain of a Dream of a Dog</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Not only could she draw, but was bursting to do so. She was joined by Kitty, whose specialty was drawing dogs. And so the brain became a figment of a dreaming dog’s imagining, filled with further dreaming dogs, dream bones, cats up trees, a cat and crossbones, and a doggy spiel written by the irrepressible Billy.</span><span class="ecxApple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A brain of a dream of a dog</span></i><span class="ecxApple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">was a piece of splendid whimsy, co-drawn-and-written by roughly ten of the group. Co-operative pieces like this tend to be unwieldy, but are great to get a group working as a team and also quieten criticism.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQElIu4qcI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/IEJhfcKH6C0/s1600/postcard+collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #5588aa; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQElIu4qcI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/IEJhfcKH6C0/s320/postcard+collection.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" width="261" /></span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The collage-making produced some of the most subtle pieces of the day, recycling postcards into little dioramas with intriguing perspective shifts and lush textures. The makers of these pieces also seemed to be the most introspective, moving quietly into the imagined space of their postcard worlds.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQEiTuzCnI/AAAAAAAAA9I/_Kd9w2cE5sk/s1600/flower+postcard+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #5588aa; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNQEiTuzCnI/AAAAAAAAA9I/_Kd9w2cE5sk/s320/flower+postcard+collage.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" width="213" /></span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The workshop was a very joyful day of silliness and messing, with a serious undercurrent. We were very aware of the backgrounds of the young people and the thin </span><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ice that some of them walk across day-to-day. The question is: how to develop the exercises, to reflect this experience without intruding?</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For more images please visit</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1874272963" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></a><span style="color: #0068cf; font-family: Tahoma;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-and-martha/sets/72157625148488051" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://www.flickr.com</span></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0068cf; font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0068cf; font-family: Tahoma;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0068cf; font-family: Tahoma, serif; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0068cf; font-family: Tahoma, serif; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We will run number of one day workshops, relating carers' experiences and emotions in a creative manner. This will link this to the exhibition at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery by American street artist <a href="http://www.elbow-toe.com/">Elbow-Toe </a>who creates collages and prints depicting the emotions of the inner person. We will use portraiture combined with poetry; work will be displayed in the town centre and/or gallery.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0068cf; font-family: Tahoma;"><div class="post-body entry-content" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
As with our hospital work, the pace of exploration will be determined by the participants themselves - it’s their choice. Enthusiasm is a key in all this and so we will revisit the things that elicited the best responses to see where they lead. The badges are a particularly popular activity and can open out into various kinds of writing and self-portraiture, including photography, so they will feature. The group piece was a gand way to gather all the ages and abilities into one space and we will experiment with this further, with a tighter brief. We hope to visit the Elbow-Toe exhibition with the groups, to focus our work and move it into an introspective mode.</span></em><br />
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</i></div><div class="post-footer" style="color: #999999; font: normal normal normal 78%/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.1em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.75em; text-transform: uppercase;"></div></span></div>Philip Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814187609721838587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-2134908482386482442010-11-05T03:35:00.000-07:002011-01-13T08:22:15.943-08:00single word concrete poemsAll you need is a single word, a piece of paper (or mud, sand, salt etc.) and something to write with. Your job is to make the word look more interesting, by changing the shape or size of the letters or playing with space and colour.<br />
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<br />
<b>a lone</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPaT3o4MFI/AAAAAAAAA8c/TMoJ1OpZWn8/s1600/galaxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPaT3o4MFI/AAAAAAAAA8c/TMoJ1OpZWn8/s320/galaxy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's <b>Galaxy</b></td></tr>
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<i>Dramatic words work well, you could try</i>:<br />
<br />
lightening<br />
thunder<br />
slime<br />
bang<br />
explosion<br />
crash<br />
burn<br />
dripping<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPaQ2guLNI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/qwNl4PhJy78/s1600/thin+fat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPaQ2guLNI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/qwNl4PhJy78/s320/thin+fat.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's <b>thin & fat</b></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">or descriptive words</span></div><br />
short & tall<br />
little & big<br />
twice<br />
upside down<br />
under & over<br />
uphill & downhill<br />
squeezed<br />
squashed<br />
leaning....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPasWuUS1I/AAAAAAAAA8g/oSFBUOGmPBU/s1600/uphill+downhill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPasWuUS1I/AAAAAAAAA8g/oSFBUOGmPBU/s1600/uphill+downhill.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's <b>uphill downhill</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You can find other examples in books and on the internet, such as</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <a href="http://www.alecfinlay.com/">Alec Finlay's</a> </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Loop</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> poem, and Salt Publishing's splendidly obvious </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Salt</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, with letters pressed into the white stuff. This is also chosen by us for another reason (see below). </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPb1glSE_I/AAAAAAAAA8k/Vg8j1KndLHw/s1600/loop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPb1glSE_I/AAAAAAAAA8k/Vg8j1KndLHw/s1600/loop.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Alec Finlay, <strong>Loop</strong>, vinyl on wall, 2006</span></td></tr>
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPb15gdgXI/AAAAAAAAA8o/cJdSQ7QXpZo/s1600/salt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPb15gdgXI/AAAAAAAAA8o/cJdSQ7QXpZo/s1600/salt.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt Publishing logo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>A book for inspiration is <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Poke-Collection-Concrete-Poems/dp/0763623768/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288953270&sr=1-3">A Poke in the I</a></i>, a recent collection of concrete poems, selected by Paul Janeczko and niftily illustrated by Chris Raschka. If you'd like to dig deeper, look at Concrete Poetry by Mary Ellen Solt, her joyous FLOWERS IN CONCRETE is at <a href="http://www.ubu.com/historical/solt/solt_flowers.html">http://www.ubu.com/historical/solt/solt_flowers.html</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNPb1glSE_I/AAAAAAAAA8k/Vg8j1KndLHw/s1600/loop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-58026697577036830282010-11-02T07:27:00.000-07:002010-11-18T03:23:28.841-08:00a drop in workshop and a screaming badge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNAsopOSiEI/AAAAAAAAA8M/cN-mGxRkwoA/s1600/I+would+jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNAsopOSiEI/AAAAAAAAA8M/cN-mGxRkwoA/s320/I+would+jump.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>Last Friday we ran a <i>drop in </i>workshop<i> </i>day<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> with a group of Young Carers at the <a href="http://www.foundation4peace.org/">Peace Centre</a> in Warrington. We played with lots of ideas from our <b>Boys Can Write</b> collection, themed around Halloween, including scary <a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/10/stencil-faces.html">stencil faces</a>, grisly <a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/10/grisly-plaster-writing.html">plaster poems</a>, screaming badge making and nightmarish poetry making. You can see the results on our portfolio site at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-and-martha/sets/72157625148488051/">www.flickr.com</a></span></i><br />
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<br />
Thanks to Derek at <a href="http://museum.warrington.gov.uk/">Warrington Museum and Art Gallery</a> for such a smoothly run event.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNAobmEdx3I/AAAAAAAAA8A/_1kgSIYVrV8/s1600/the+dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNAobmEdx3I/AAAAAAAAA8A/_1kgSIYVrV8/s320/the+dead.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<b>To make your own screaming badge..</b><br />
<br />
<i>You will need a red and black pen, scissors, something to create a circular shape and sticky tape.</i><br />
<br />
1. What makes you scream? It could be a scream of excitement or joy, or something that makes you scream with terror.<br />
2. If there are any spelling that you are unsure about, practice them on a separate piece of paper.<br />
3. On card or thick paper, write with a red pen, holding it in your teeth.<br />
4. Then with a black pen, write it again using your 'wrong' hand.<br />
5. If you like you can repeat the words writing with your feet, or getting someone to shake the paper, or turning the paper around, or writing with the palms of your hands.<br />
6. Find something to draw around, such as a mug or eggcup, draw a circle around your most marvellous piece of writing.<br />
7. Cut out your badge shape, attach a safety pin with a bit of tape and wear with pride. You are now officially scary.<br />
<br />
PS. For a completely different result with a similar technique, look at the beautiful meditative work of the American poet Bob Grenier at <a href="http://www.whalecloth.org/grenier/pennscans/pennscans.html">http://www.whalecloth.org</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNArrcY5a-I/AAAAAAAAA8E/CYRFnXoPhi8/s1600/wasp+badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TNArrcY5a-I/AAAAAAAAA8E/CYRFnXoPhi8/s320/wasp+badge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-86749039842513735092010-11-01T10:56:00.000-07:002010-11-22T02:33:40.700-08:00Background notes for parents and teachers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Sometimes words can freeze up, especially if they’re being written onto a snowy white page. Writer’s Block is a famous term, that conjures images of a desperate author reaching for the vodka, but it is a problem that affects many schoolchildren too. The problem is usually a combination of self-consciousness and lack of confidence. Those two things make a formidable block. But one of the best ways to get around a blocked path is simply to use a new route. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpFDqS8HsI/AAAAAAAAA-0/1F5vK8oEac8/s1600/Artha-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpFDqS8HsI/AAAAAAAAA-0/1F5vK8oEac8/s320/Artha-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This blogsite is full of ideas for taking a sideways step around problems with writing. By using exercises that can be played like games, the anxiety that adds to the problem can be defused. Creativity has always been close kin to playing – and musicians actually do ‘play’, of course. We’ve collected many techniques that are used by contemporary artists and writers. Some, like concrete poetry, cut-ups and Oulipo strategies are rarely taught in school, which gives them the advantage of freshness. They are playful, but are also subtle tools for self-expression.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpFCrCzwdI/AAAAAAAAA-s/nd6sV0xJUiQ/s1600/Artha-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpFCrCzwdI/AAAAAAAAA-s/nd6sV0xJUiQ/s320/Artha-10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eyebright</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The <b>Boys Can Write</b> blog isn’t tied to any curriculum or syllabus, it is designed to aid people find delight in writing. It is especially for boys who have hit that cold, blank wall of the page. The fine-tuning of spelling, grammar, etc., will follow once enthusiasm has been established, but they are not the first hurdle and we don’t attend to them here.<br />
<br />
We have worked with hundreds of young people in Primary and Secondary Education. Many are illiterate, some are in danger of exclusion, many have special needs, trauma, or are vulnerable in numerous ways. By making writing a kind of play, we’ve helped them explore their own ideas of beauty, anger, humour, sadness and hope. You can view examples of our previous projects with children, on our portfolio site: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-and-martha/sets/72157605573306691/">Inscape: a stone walk</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-and-martha/sets/72157618318696037/">Eyebright Pilot</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-and-martha/sets/72157622724222056/">Eyebright</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-and-martha/sets/72157625148488051/">A brain of a dream of a dog.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpGcQCnoNI/AAAAAAAAA_g/4V_LJ893ZB8/s1600/photo+hold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TOpGcQCnoNI/AAAAAAAAA_g/4V_LJ893ZB8/s320/photo+hold.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inscape, a stone walk</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This site is illustrated with examples from past and present arthur+martha projects, as well as an ongoing diary of experiments documented by Lois and her son Joe.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div>The most important technique of all is to let pleasure be the guide. This is brainstorming. Dump the idea of things being ‘right’, ‘wrong’, or ‘un/successful'. All of those things will reassert themselves soon enough (and oh how rapidly they race back in). But for this work, take a holiday.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Philip Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814187609721838587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-83305358262527521452010-10-28T05:03:00.000-07:002010-11-04T05:52:14.993-07:00stencil faces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Today we've been designing faces using stencils.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>1. Gather together your materials: stencils of various sizes, paper and pens<br />
2. Design a face using stencil letters to make the shapes of eyes, ears, nose, hair, mouth, freckles, spots, glasses... whatever you want on your picture<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMmJvLhaYsI/AAAAAAAAA7w/INpAlJI7PJk/s1600/Joes+scary+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMmJvLhaYsI/AAAAAAAAA7w/INpAlJI7PJk/s320/Joes+scary+face.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's Vampire face</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Ideas</b><br />
1. You could try just using the letters in your own name, to make a self portrait<br />
2. Try something grisly, a scary vampire face or a skeleton for Halloween...<br />
3. Try making an animal face<br />
4. Experiment with different colours of paper, or pens.<br />
<br />
<i>There are lots more examples of stencil faces at our <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1020861965">flickr </a></i><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-and-martha/sets/72157625148488051/">portfolio site</a> </i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMlkwMXIKII/AAAAAAAAA7s/kosHyrNxc7c/s1600/Lois+stencil+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMlkwMXIKII/AAAAAAAAA7s/kosHyrNxc7c/s320/Lois+stencil+face.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lois's stencil face</td></tr>
</tbody></table>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-4625754310899576582010-10-26T09:41:00.000-07:002010-11-01T11:34:33.311-07:00grisly plaster writing<b>Many boys relish showing of their scars, cuts and bruises, so why not take advantage of their grim nature and encourage them to write about it...</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMcDk574ZCI/AAAAAAAAA7g/wOl3GqQg34Q/s1600/plaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMcDk574ZCI/AAAAAAAAA7g/wOl3GqQg34Q/s320/plaster.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trapped under door<br />bleed a lot in bath<br />went black and fell off</td></tr></tbody></table><br />1. Picture a time you hurt yourself, fell over, tripped over your shoe laces, banged your toe, fell out of a tree, off a skyscraper... how did you feel? What did your skin look like? What did it look like a week later? Talk through your ideas with a grown up, and then...<br />2. If there are any spellings that you are unsure about, practice them on a separate piece of paper<br />3. Write down a few words or lines on a fabric plaster<br />4. Attach your plaster to the area of your body that was hurt<br />5. Wear with pride.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMcEPTOFKvI/AAAAAAAAA7k/4629Lk1blAE/s1600/plaster+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMcEPTOFKvI/AAAAAAAAA7k/4629Lk1blAE/s320/plaster+front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMcDkCfg_zI/AAAAAAAAA7c/CrN2T3BqjA8/s1600/plaster+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMcDkCfg_zI/AAAAAAAAA7c/CrN2T3BqjA8/s320/plaster+back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-84956527521870390752010-10-22T06:09:00.000-07:002010-11-01T11:43:07.218-07:00Journals<b>With all the homework and day-to-day distractions during term time, it's hard to find time for Joe to write his journal.</b> We now aim for at least once at the weekend, and with holiday coming up, I hope to encourage a daily journal entry.<br /><div><br /><div>The secret seems to be to keep things as fun as possible, and trying things that there wouldn't be time for in school. The example below, is a type of concrete poem. After a walk, he drew and wrote down some of his experiences.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMGJ9Rd1BkI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/Fg0Cc2vn3kE/s1600/10.10.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMGJ9Rd1BkI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/Fg0Cc2vn3kE/s320/10.10.10.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe's journal page</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>This idea could be taken further by:</b><br /><br />1. Go for a walk in a local park, into the country, a garden, or anywhere affected by the seasons.<br />2. Close your eyes and listen hard to the sounds around you, try and remember them, or write them down.<br />3. Collect leaves, sticks, pebbles.<br />4. Bring them home to draw or for collage material, these can be stuck down, written on, crushed, drawn around.<br />5. Write a list of the things that you saw, smelt, or heard, following the shape of the picture. Or perhaps the words could follow the shape of your walk?<br />5. PS. Experiment with colours too, using the colours of the season.</div></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-2301827049787622152010-10-20T03:45:00.000-07:002010-11-30T05:07:57.639-08:00puzzle writing with collage<div><b>Collage</b> is a way to play with the look and meaning of words on a page. Individual letters can take on great importance if they are emphasised. By changing their scale and colour, words can be made to jump around the page in all directions, like little acrobats. (In fact, an early <a href="http://www.ianhamiltonfinlay.com/ian_hamilton_finlay.html">Ian Hamilton Finlay</a> poem <a href="http://unix.cc.wmich.edu/%7Ecooneys/poems/imag/acrobats.gif">Acrobats</a> does just this.) There's something very satisfying about spending time in ordering your colours and alphabet, for boys who like fiddling and puzzles it will be a winner. For some children, the empty white page can be intimidating and using collage can help distract them, because the material comes readymade.</div><div><br />
</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TL7D0Dbt3dI/AAAAAAAAA7I/HGmIkWjq9rU/s1600/odd+one+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TL7D0Dbt3dI/AAAAAAAAA7I/HGmIkWjq9rU/s320/odd+one+out.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Odd one out. © Lois Blackburn 2010 </td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><b>This is an exercise in creating visual puzzles:</b><br />
<div><br />
</div><div>1. Discuss what you would like to create. In this case, I've used a rainbow of colours... which is the odd one out?</div><div>2. If there are any words you are unsure how to spell, practice them on a separate piece of paper.</div><div>3. You can cut out words/letters from newspapers, magazines (make sure they've been finished with first!) food and toy packaging. Once you start looking for letters, you will see them everywhere. </div><div>4. Carefully cut the letters out.</div><div>5. Rearrange the letters on your page so they form the words you've picked</div><div>6. Puzzle your friends and family with your 'odd one out'. </div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>This was an exercise in creating a visual puzzle, but the idea could be adapted to help learn the spellings of colours, creating each word in its appropriate colour to reinforce learning. Joe's example here is his favorite colour. Golden.</i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMAtTxSJ92I/AAAAAAAAA7M/qUEXF-ZRCJQ/s1600/golden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TMAtTxSJ92I/AAAAAAAAA7M/qUEXF-ZRCJQ/s1600/golden.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden, by Joe 2010</td></tr>
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<br />
</div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-25142017553707291612010-10-19T13:10:00.000-07:002010-11-01T12:21:11.324-07:00tips for parents..<em>You might find these tips useful...</em> <br /><br />Ask open-ended questions to get boys' imaginations involved. 'What if..? and 'How would you?' will help them picture things from different perspectives.<br /><br />Build on their own interests and experiences.<br /><br />Some of the exercises on the blog will suit one person and not another - don't get put of if an idea isn't an immediate hit.<br /><br />Talk through the exercise before picking up pens/pencil/paint/scissors. Discuss ideas and options, so that there's a clear plan. <br /><br />Promote and reward imagination and originality. We mean sweets!<br /><br />Create 'a safe place to play'. This is a standard arthur+martha rule. Ensure that everyone feels safe to say unusual things, take risks and respond creatively. Criticism and bullying are out.<br /><br />Encourage them to shape the way they are working. If you want to encourage boys to be adventurous and explore ideas freely, then you must allow them freedoms.<br /><br />As well as the burning need for making a rumpus, there will also be a need for quiet times. Reflection and concentration are vital if you want to encourage deep involvement.<br /><br />Make the most of unexpected events. When appropriate, put aside your plans and busk it. Treat accidents as 'incidents' to be included in making the work. Paint spills, computer errors, misheard instructions, unexpected visitors, firecrackers all have their place. <br /><br />Be willing to stand back and let the child take the lead. However, always be on hand to provide support.<br /><br />Join in with activities. Showing that you are a learner too helps to create an open, constructive environment.<br /><br />Give boys the chance to work with friends and family of different age groups. <br /><br />Encourage boys to reflect on what they've done, share ideas with others and talk about their progress.<br /><br />(These tips are adapted from the National Curriculum, 'Creativity'.)arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-33480367789666663152010-10-16T02:11:00.000-07:002010-11-30T05:08:38.240-08:00rebus eye spy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Rebus is writing that substitutes images for words in a text, or in the example below images that substitute individual letters. If you've ever drawn a heart instead of the word LOVE then you've created your own rebus</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Rebus can be a useful devise to give children confidence in writing; they can substitute words that they have problems spelling, or simply have fun mixing words and pictures. Rebuses can use letters, numbers, musical notes or pictures, they can convey direct meanings, or puzzle and amuse.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In this exercise we mixed rebus, with collage and <a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-son-has-just-had-his-first-go-poetry.html">concrete</a> techniques. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLlj3YuUNHI/AAAAAAAAA64/SiIozMeaFH8/s1600/eye+spy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLlj3YuUNHI/AAAAAAAAA64/SiIozMeaFH8/s320/eye+spy.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eye spy © Lois Blackburn 2010</td></tr>
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<div>1. Cut a good supply of letters, pictures and numbers, out of magazines, newspapers, packaging. Try to get a range of sizes and colours. These bits and pieces will start to give you some ideas.</div><div>2. Discuss what you would like to write. It could be a sentence, a poem, or a single word.</div><div>3. If there are any spellings that you are unsure about, practice them first</div><div>4. Select your letters, pictures and numbers. Try placing them in different ways on the page, upside down, diagonally, straight up or down.</div><div>5. Once you have got your beautiful arrangement, try not to sneeze. Glue the letters down.</div><div>6. Use them to puzzle your delighted friends and family.</div><div><br />
</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLljvQMqeWI/AAAAAAAAA60/vd1amhqNlnQ/s1600/I+eat+a+whole+pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="72" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLljvQMqeWI/AAAAAAAAA60/vd1amhqNlnQ/s320/I+eat+a+whole+pizza.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I eat a whole pizza © Joe Inman 2010 </td></tr>
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<div><br />
</div><div>Why not have a look at the earliest form of rebus, Egyptian hieroglyphs, which were in use as early as 3400 BC. One site I found, has an alphabet translator, so you can <a href="http://www.eyelid.co.uk/hiero1.htm">write your name like an Egyptian</a>. Or see if you can track down more of Lewis Carroll's nonsense letters, such as the example below:</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLlpB94vPlI/AAAAAAAAA68/k763g94-vjs/s1600/Lewis+Carroll+rebus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLlpB94vPlI/AAAAAAAAA68/k763g94-vjs/s320/Lewis+Carroll+rebus.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><div></div></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-50950399950478268942010-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:002010-11-01T12:40:15.970-07:00concrete hand<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How to create your own </span><a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-son-has-just-had-his-first-go-poetry.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">concrete</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> hand poem:</span></b><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Draw</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> around your hand, or ask a friend or grown up to draw round it for you.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2. </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Think</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> of all of the things you have touched today, and how those things felt on your hand.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Practice</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> spelling any words you might have difficulty with on a piece of paper (the example below has practice spellings on the same page, you could use a different page if you like).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4. </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Fill in</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> your hand drawing with all of the words, turning the paper in lots of different directions, and following the lines of the outline. You could even take a close look at your palm and recreate the lines of your hand on your drawing.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> </div><div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLNeC7vMxgI/AAAAAAAAA6g/KwvKEvsD2bU/s1600/hand+concrete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLNeC7vMxgI/AAAAAAAAA6g/KwvKEvsD2bU/s320/hand+concrete.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Joe's concrete hand</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Why not have a look at images of Palmistry, the art of telling the future through the study of the palm? There are some beautiful illustrations to inspire you that can to be found on the internet. Or perhaps you could find some undiscovered ones in that old, old book on your great grandpa's bookshelf...</span></div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLNhg3XZ9fI/AAAAAAAAA6k/p1jDwXXeJ8M/s1600/palmistry+woodcut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TLNhg3XZ9fI/AAAAAAAAA6k/p1jDwXXeJ8M/s1600/palmistry+woodcut.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-61871979326057838432010-10-07T12:55:00.000-07:002010-11-01T12:48:24.050-07:00the skull of fluffSomething quite remarkable happened after school today, Joe sat down for two hours and worked on the <i>Skull of Fluff</i> it's a day to celebrate!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TK4g67Ay5bI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/86F83JfJ0m0/s1600/the+skull+of+fluff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TK4g67Ay5bI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/86F83JfJ0m0/s320/the+skull+of+fluff.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was inspired by receiving a postcard from one of his new <a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/10/pen-pals.html">Pen Pals</a>. Using the idea of <a href="http://boys-can-write.blogspot.com/2010/09/maps-and-diagrams.html">maps</a> again was a big hit, this time Joe was inspired by a book on pirates. He needed encouragement to do the writing, but there were no complaints when he started doing the <i>fancy</i> writing, it seems that if there is a chance to play with the way words look, it comes alive. If you would like to have a go, here are some ideas to try:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Discuss a good shape for an island. If you have any map books handy, you could have a look at those, or do a search on-line. Joe was inspired by a pirate island, and created his island in the shape of a skull, but the outline could be based on anything - a real island, the shape of an animal, a robot, a name.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Look at antique maps for inspiration, the <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0512/feature3/zoomify/">National Geographic</a>, have wonderful examples, full of maritime monsters and disasters. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Draw the island, using any materials you like, pens, pencils, crayons, collage. Or a mixture of them all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Think of place names. Perhaps these could be based on real places or people, or they could come out of your own remarkable mind. Write them down. You can practice the spelling on a separate piece of paper if you like. Don't worry if the odd spelling mistake slips by - like Scull on Joe's piece - it's more important to have fun with it. Anyway, pirates were never famous for their spelling. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Have a go at distressing or ageing your map, using cold tea/coffee, or bury it in the garden, or get a grown up to burn the edges (keep a basin of water handy, it would be sad if your dad went up in flames.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TK4g9cnjB4I/AAAAAAAAA6c/T_z0C266GVs/s1600/master+of+the+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TK4g9cnjB4I/AAAAAAAAA6c/T_z0C266GVs/s320/master+of+the+island.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-91142229775240926692010-10-06T03:17:00.000-07:002010-11-01T12:53:51.332-07:00a walk<b>Yesterday I introduced Joe to the art of </b><a href="http://www.richardlong.org/"><b>Richard Long</b></a> <b>with our own homage to his </b><a href="http://www.richardlong.org/textworks/textworks.html"><b>textworks</b></a><b>. </b>We shocked ourselves by actually getting out of the house early, and took the opportunity to do something creative on the walk to school. Long makes artworks out of words, that suggest the landscape he walks through rather than showing it.<br /><br />1. Make up the rules together. You need to create a plan for regular stops on your walk to write what you notice. These could be on a count (maybe 50?) or throwing a stick and seeing where it lands, or whenever you hear a birdcall, or, or , or...<br /><br />2. When you stop, look around and write the first thing that catches your eye, or ear. Or even nose. On this occasion I wrote the words down for Joe, this sped us up, got us to school on time, and allowed me to check my spelling when I got home! But it would be great to do the writing on the spot if you have time. <br />3. At home, copy the list and make changes if you like.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKxIu6ftdII/AAAAAAAAA6M/h307M6aYiFc/s1600/a+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKxIu6ftdII/AAAAAAAAA6M/h307M6aYiFc/s320/a+walk.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKxIxIS8lPI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/g7f1MF-HYXw/s1600/a+walk+p.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKxIxIS8lPI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/g7f1MF-HYXw/s320/a+walk+p.2.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was an intriguing exercise, encouraging him to really look and describe the world around him. It also helped motivate the walk itself. I will definitely try it again, but next time not on the way to school, so he has time to write the words down himself directly. It could be adapted to any walk; inside a supermarket, to the local shop/postbox, in the town or countryside. </div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-32634455054709164202010-10-03T03:20:00.000-07:002010-11-01T11:29:24.234-07:00pen pals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhT6c88CBI/AAAAAAAAA6A/9kn9flNZwpc/s1600/dinasaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhT6c88CBI/AAAAAAAAA6A/9kn9flNZwpc/s320/dinasaw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhTxlKqU8I/AAAAAAAAA54/yy6K6LG9L78/s1600/to+Jerome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhTxlKqU8I/AAAAAAAAA54/yy6K6LG9L78/s320/to+Jerome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday, Joe sent a number of handmade postcards, inviting friends and family to be his pen pals.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhTlrWG7QI/AAAAAAAAA5s/4X46viPpVTM/s1600/mermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhTlrWG7QI/AAAAAAAAA5s/4X46viPpVTM/s320/mermaid.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhVQhlkZiI/AAAAAAAAA6I/Wqx0JSz1DnA/s1600/to+Grandma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhVQhlkZiI/AAAAAAAAA6I/Wqx0JSz1DnA/s320/to+Grandma.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He gave careful thought about what to draw for each person, then wrote variations of the invite. There were no complaints from him or encouragement needed, he happily created his postcards. Perhaps it was the shortness of the text, perhaps the hope that someone might write back, or a bit of both?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhTsz-8uiI/AAAAAAAAA5w/DMtWQOqm1o0/s1600/skull+and+crossbone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhTsz-8uiI/AAAAAAAAA5w/DMtWQOqm1o0/s320/skull+and+crossbone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhT1RaxT2I/AAAAAAAAA58/K9O4mf_rXuE/s1600/to+Philip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKhT1RaxT2I/AAAAAAAAA58/K9O4mf_rXuE/s320/to+Philip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The postcard, to Phil, is a great example of how children love to design decorative lettering. Here he's inspired by cobwebs, bones and nautical ropes.<br /><br />We've used old blank postcards, which can be personalized with drawings. Alternative ideas include: local postcards, photographs, decorated envelopes, the recycled back of printouts, digitised virtual postcards, toilet paper (Ezra Pound used this for the Cantos, when imprisoned) tissue etc and so on, ad infinitum.arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512705242201251253.post-78080381095323609262010-09-27T12:25:00.000-07:002010-11-01T12:59:37.631-07:00maps and diagrams<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">The theory is that boys catch up with girls when it comes to understanding <b>maps and diagrams</b>.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKDuLhIUP5I/AAAAAAAAA5k/AFlKoAS8hjY/s1600/water+cycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKDuLhIUP5I/AAAAAAAAA5k/AFlKoAS8hjY/s320/water+cycle.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">"<i>The difference (reading ability) between boys and girls was smaller when the item contained non-continuous texts such as charts, maps and diagrams.</i>" From the fascinating <a href="http://www.eera-ecer.eu/ecer-programmes/conference/ecer-2010/contribution/298-1/?no_cache=1">'Differences in reading between boys and girls.'</a> The European Educational Research Association.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"> </span></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKDuScpXQBI/AAAAAAAAA5o/uxF3ZVl9wjE/s1600/family+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rO1SpkuhseY/TKDuScpXQBI/AAAAAAAAA5o/uxF3ZVl9wjE/s320/family+map.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">family map</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Joe certainly seemed to enjoy combining <b>maps and diagrams</b> with words, I loved the fact that it also involved other subjects - graphics, geography and science. The family map worked well, and could be adapted, for example making a map of friends, or favorite places to visit, or an imaginary map, the variations are as big as their imaginings:</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"> </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">1. Draw an outline of your town, city, Britain, or Europe or the world, depending on where family live.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">2. Try to locate where they live on your map.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">3. Write down the place name, and the list of people living there.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">4. Add decorations if you want, like flags or compasses, or some ruthless monsters/relatives. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>arthur+marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00854602346306054083noreply@blogger.com0