Partner with families to learn about their language practices, stories, and literacy-related interactions at home, recognizing that children bring rich knowledge and skills from their first languages and cultural experiences. Dual language learners should have opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in the standard in both their first language and English, with supports such as first-language use, cross-language connections, gestures, visuals, and props. These opportunities allow young dual language learners to build on what they know and can do in their first language as they continue to develop communication, language, and literacy skills in all their languages.
Choose an artist with a distinct style, such as Jackson Pollack, Piet Mondrian or Henri Matisse. Show the children examples of the artist's work and ask questions such as, “What colors do you like best? What do you think that is? What is your favorite part? How does it make you feel?” Provide art supplies used in the examples and encourage the children to create art in the same style.
