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Reading Rockets' children's literature expert, Maria Salvadore, brings you into her world as she explores the best ways to use kids' books both inside — and outside — of the classroom.
What to do on spring break?
Recently I read the NCBLA blog, encouraging parents to take their children to an exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
Museums — large or small — enrich any spring break no matter where you live or how old the children. Plus, there's some research which suggests that the study of art enhances literacy skills, including critical thinking.
While museums provide a unique, shared experience — regardless of previous exposure or experience — sometimes it can be difficult to physically get there.
And that's when a trip to a library or a bookstore comes in.
Books are not a substitute for an actual museum visit, but it is possible for them to enrich a visit, prepare for one, or allow you to see work from faraway galleries.
You can see and talk about an entire exhibit in Tell Me a Picture (Francis Lincoln), explore similar themes in a range of art in books by Lucy Micklethwait, or meet an individual artist in an interactive book like Hello Rousseau (Birdcage Books).
Let me know about your favorite museum or art book — or what you're planning for this year's spring break!
