12 Tips for Making Read-Alouds Come Alive! When is a story not a story? When it’s sitting on a shelf, of course. But that’s not the whole answer. A story isn’t a real story until it’s read with thought, energy, skill, and imagination. Like Pinocchio, it will stay “wooden” (or paper) without a little magic to […]
Category Archives: Articles
The other day, while singing “Old MacDonald” with a class of three-year-olds, I found myself wondering how many times I’ve sung this song. Must be in the thousands, I thought. Well, I just did some calculations. Multiply approximately ten times a day, three or four days a week, times say fifty weeks a year, for (excuse […]
This article appears in the current issue of Creativity Portal (creativity-portal.com). If you’re not familiar with Creativity Portal, check it out- it has wonderful ideas and articles for artists, writers, teachers, and other creative people! The Creative Magic of Naming How to use the Naming Game to empower children and foster creativity. By Abby Connors […]
(This article appears in the October issue of TEMPO, the magazine of the NJ Music Educators Association.) Reinventing the Wheels on the Bus: Music Improvisation with Young Children Several years ago, I was presenting a workshop on rhythm instrument activities to a group of elementary music teachers. It was going well, the participants seemed interested […]
Hi! I had a very fun chat with Anna Wilmoth, the wonderful Marketing Director at Gryphon House, about my career in early childhood music, my new book, and more. It appeared on the Gryphon House blog last week. You’ll find a lot more great early childhood information and resources at their website. KidsChat: Abigail Flesch […]
This article of mine is in this month’s issue of “Teachers Net Gazette.” Young Children Need These ACTIVE Music Activities! By Abigail Flesch Connors Includes 2 unique, upbeat and engaging active music activities you can easily adapt to your classroom or music program! From the author’s latest book, Shake, Rattle and Roll! Rhythm Instruments and […]
This article originally appeared in Creativity Portal in September 2010. How to Help Children Stay Creative Picasso famously stated, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Anyone who lives or works with young children knows they truly are artists, buzzing with creativity, filled with wonder, curiosity, and […]
Hi everyone, This is a guest blog post I wrote for the Gryphon House blog. You can find more fun activities and information on great resources for early childhood learning at gryphonhouse.com. March 17, 2015 Guest Post from Abigail Flesch Connors, MEd, author of Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Rhythm Instruments and More for Active Learning and […]
This article of mine originally appeared in Creativity Portal (creativity-portal.com) in December 2010. Creative Arts and Creative Thinking Are Not the Same Thing! By Abby Connors Earlier this year, I presented a workshop at a unique international conference, “Educating the Creative Mind,” held at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. The conference was tremendously stimulating, […]
This article is excerpted from my book “Teaching Creativity” and also appeared on the “Creativity Portal” site (creativity-portal.com). Think Outside the Catalog When I look through school-supply catalogs, I shake my head at the amount of money some people are apparently willing to pay for little fuzzy pompoms, foam paper, feathers, sequins, stamps, stickers, and […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 