Cutting skills are not a given when my youngest students enter Kindergarten anymore. Used to be they were experimenting and cutting at home prior to beginning school, however, most incoming Kinders haven't even used a crayon anymore. The simplest of what were once given skills are now totally absent. The majority of my Kindergarten curriculum is based on shapes and how to create them. We draw them, color, them, cut them, well you get the picture. By December, students are beginning to combine some of the skills we have been practicing to collage this cute little winter penguin. Matisse is the artist of choice as we share a few stories of his life. For the project, students start by using stamps to do some basic printing and then practice how to use a glue stick without covering every surface of the table and ourselves and not wasting and breaking the glue stick. Skill building 101. I pre-cut rectangles for students to use to then cut and assemble the penguin. Each shape is their own so development levels are quick to identify. I love this project because they are making something they can identify and each one quickly develops it's own personality. Enjoy our Kinder penguins. I sure do! Good books for accompaniment are:
