Some songs stay with you all your life. They may be simple, but they are unforgettable. Paige Hernandez starts singing one she learned more than 30 years ago, when she was a 4-year-old in a Baltimore Head Start classroom: “Friends, friends, 1, 2, 3 All my friends are here with me…” It’s a catchy tune, designed to put children at ease and get them in...
Read More
It’s the beginning of the summer here at Wolf Trap, which means ushering in another season full of fantastic performances, both at the Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. And while the halls at Wolf Trap are buzzing with excitement about providing the community with a summer full of opportunities to enjoy the arts, Wolf Trap’s education programs continue to focus on fostering unique arts education...
Read More
Some songs stay with you all your life. They may be simple, but they are unforgettable. Paige Hernandez starts singing one she learned more than 30 years ago, when she was a 4-year-old in a Baltimore Head Start classroom: “Friends, friends, 1, 2, 3 All my friends are here with me…” It’s a catchy tune, designed to put children at ease and get them in...
Read More
At Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, we hear every day about the ways our Teaching Artists are making a difference in the lives of the children and teachers they serve. We’ve heard countless stories – like using the classic tale The Three Little Pigs to help children acquire and practice language skills and learn engineering concepts by playing the parts of...
Read More
Remember the excitement you felt as a young child whenever you had an assembly at school? It felt like a special treat – being able to put your lessons aside, leave the classroom and take a journey to the auditorium or gymnasium for what seemed like an hour of pure fun. While you were there, captivated by a special presentation or honored guest, you were...
Read More
The arts can be a great way to incorporate all of the sensory elements that autumn has to offer. Here are three books, along with a few easy arts-based activities, that can keep children thinking, exploring and discovering throughout the fall: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, by Julia Rawlinson A concerned and caring little fox is startled when the leaves on his favorite tree begin...
Read More
Wolf Trap Institute Employs Creativity in the Classroom You’re racing toward an intersection on your way to work and the light turns from green to yellow. You’re too far away to make it through, so you stop. It’s a simple decision, one you make automatically, never missing a beat in the song on the radio that you’re singing along with. But the child on the...
Read More
“Last fall, I was privileged to work in a Loudoun County classroom with preschool children who have special needs. Ms. Laura, the classroom teacher, said her deepest wish was to find a way to reach one particular child – I’ll call him Michael. I had read about children like Michael, but in all my years of teaching I had never before encountered anyone with...
Read More
There’s an exciting conversation taking place in our country right now. And a powerful mix of people doing the talking—everyone from the First Lady to the U.S. Secretary of Education; from famous musicians to decision- makers on Capitol Hill; and from teachers and parents nationwide to all of us here at Wolf Trap....
Read More
Ms. Emily Davis and her preschoolers had a very special visitor this week: U.S. Secretary of Education John King stopped by Dogwood Elementary School in Reston, Virginia, to learn about the work Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts is doing to train early childhood teachers and create positive learning experiences for students. Dr. King, a former teacher himself, requested to visit a...
Read More
