Arts Improving Academics

 
1.      Take all pieces out of the box.
2.      Using both hands, turn pieces face-up on the table and spread them out as you go.
3.      Fix the lid of the box so that you can see the picture.
4.      Find the edges and identify the four corners.
5.      Hold each edge piece up to the picture to determine whether it’s a north, south, east or west edge, then place them    towards the like edge of your table in a line with the edges to the outside.
 6.      If a child insists on building from the middle after his lessons, just let him.  It’s more fun.  You can always offer up a contest on edges if necessary.  I think edges supply a different and important type of learning strategy.
 7.      Find the innies and the outties that go together by matching colors, patterns, textures and shapes until each side is together but not joined at the corners.  This allows all of the other pieces to be kept in the middle, as well as giving as many as four students a side of the table to work at and an edge to build on.
 8.      Decide what object or section you want to work on now and collect all of its pieces.  If two to four students are going to work on the same puzzle, each can decide on an object and then proceed with something like this: “I’m working on the red car.  If anyone sees a piece of it, please pass it to me.”  “Here Carlos, I think this is a piece of the car.”  “Thank you, Claudia, that was what I was looking for!”  “If anyone sees a piece of the blue boat, please pass it to me.” “I’m working on the little faces.”  “Here are three pieces with faces, Dean.” “Thanks Kaleo, I didn’t see those!”