Showing posts with label painting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label painting. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Joyful Math Preview, Webinar and Review

Curious about my book Joyful Math? Click here for a preview!


"Deanna shows us that math can bring joy! Written to support play-based math learning for young children in clear and concise language, this colorfully illustrated text is all you need to give the gift of math to children. When math is connected to children's play it becomes real, meaningful, authentic, and joyful for children and their teachers."
--Dr. Diane Kashin, RECE, retired early childhood education professor, co-author of Play and Learning in Early Childhood Education

"Deanna's book provides a window into an early childhood classroom, sharing stories of young children's mathematics learning. The mathematics is embedded in a place of wonder, joy, and collaboration, full of playful learning with materials. The classroom stories share a joyful approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics which is sure to both inspire and provide a wealth of ideas for educators."
--Janice Novakowski, District Teacher Consultant (Mathematics) in Richmond, BC, Canada and coordinator of the BC Reggio-Inspired Mathematics Project

"In this beautiful book, Deanna McLennan shows us how teachers can create an environment for children to engage in mathematical play and learning with joy, curiosity, and discovery. Teachers will welcome these wonderfully authentic invitations to bring joyful playful math into their classrooms throughout the day."
--Katie Keier, kindergarten teacher and co-author of Catching Readers Before They Fall: Supporting Readers Who Struggle, K-4

"This is so much more than a math book. It's about a kindergarten teacher who is confident in her teaching, passing on sensible suggestions and practical advice to others who are looking to create interesting, engaging learning environments for their children, outside and in. It contains nuggets of commentary that are an inspiration and a joy to read. It's a reflective narrative of how Deanna integrates math into her everyday life of the class in meaningful and respectful ways based upon the principles and practice of the Reggio Emilia approach."
--Juliet Robertson, author of Messy Maths: A Playful, Outdoor Approach for Early Years

"What if all children had joyful math experiences in their earliest years? You may be wondering what would that look like and where do I start. Read Joyful Math and step inside Deanna McLennan's masterful, joy-filled kindergarten classroom. Here the natural curiosity, inventiveness, and exuberance of children is harnessed for deep mathematical learning through exploration and play. Deanna respectfully shares with teachers the methods she has developed over the years to surpass mathematical standards without leaving joy to chance. Rich with stories, conversations with children, and awe-inspiring photographs, Joyful Math is a game-changer for the early childhood math landscape."
--Katie Egan Cunningham, author of Start with Joy: Designing Literacy Learning for Student Happiness

Interested in learning more about how to bring Joyful Math to your classroom? I am pleased to share a webinar here that I have presented in the past for Pembroke Publishers.

"Join author/educator Deanna Pecaski McLennan as she discusses building a kindergarten classroom in which math is inseparable from everything students do. She encourages you to create invitations to engage with math through art, literacy, and outdoor play. With stories from her own classroom, Deanna inspires you to be curious about math, take risks, try new approaches, and collaborate with children as co-learners."
 
 
Read the review for Joyful Math in the June 2021 issue of Professionally Speaking. 
 
 
Eager to learn more? Consider joining the Facebook 'Joyful Math' book talk happening September to November 2021 on Facebook!  
 
Have you read and enjoyed Joyful Math? I'd appreciate a review on Goodreads or Amazon! Thank you!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Sunflower Still Life

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." 
Albert Einstein


Our children created delicate black outlined water colour paintings today. There work is stunning; with time and practice they have emerged as observant and skilled artists. We love still life art because it really encourages the children to take time to carefully observe the many details of the subject and use the materials and tools they feel will help them best represent what they see. It's always so interesting to see their interpretations of the same object and how different the finished pieces are.









Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Self-Portraits

"Art has the power to transform, to illuminate, to educate, inspire, and motivate."

In our classroom we love using the power of observation and the language of art to share our ideas with others. This week we encouraged the children to visit the art area in order to paint a self-portrait to hang over their cubbies. We placed a large mirror at the table along with a variety of paint brushes and acrylics. Some children drew a pencil sketch on the canvas first and then painted over while others painted freely.


The children's attention to detail was inspiring; they noticed the shade of their skin, shape of their face, length of their hair, and even what expression they should be wearing in the painting.


They took their time studying the uniqueness of their reflection and representing their individuality and personality in the self-portrait. It was interesting to watch the artist work; behind him or her were a few admirers watching the process and waiting patiently for their turn to paint. The conversations were low and focused as the artist's work was admired and decisions were made as to which colours they would be using for their piece.


The paintings were hung over each cubby along with a new, framed photo of each child.


We hoped to honour each child's individuality and spirit through the use of photography and paint. We think the results are simply stunning! Check out this new display next time you visit our room!


Wednesday, April 6, 2016

The Beauty in Snapdragons

The more often we see the things around us - even the beautiful and wonderful things - the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds - even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less. Joseph B. Wirthlin

It's important to take time to carefully observe and appreciate nature's beauty. 

Our children were captivated by the beauty and delicate nature of the flowers on the art table today. They liked the way the flowers changed colours and the top of each stalk dropped slightly to the side. 


Many spent time carefully observing and blending the paint colours so they were just right. 









Each painting a unique interpretation of what the children observed. Beautiful!






Thursday, February 25, 2016

Maker art

We had a maker art center today where children had the opportunity to design their own stamp and explore printmaking. 

We offered sticky foam and cardboard. 


The children cut the foam into shapes and stuck it on a cardboard base. 






The children then painted the stamp and pressed it on paper to see what print it made. 






One child noticed that the stamp of her name's initial stamped backwards on the paper. 




She problem solved by designing her brother's initial backwards so it looked correct when stamped. 



Maker spaces encourage children to build and explore with loose parts. We can't wait to see what else is created here tomorrow!
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