 Preschool and Kindergarten children learning academic and life skills through the performing arts. Early Childhood Education specialists have observed that exposure to the arts helps teach Preschool and Kindergarten children skills that form a solid foundation for future learning and literacy. Programs at the Music Center include the Southern California Wolf Trap Program which partners a Preschool or Kindergarten teacher and a professional performing artist. Wolf Trap is a regional program of the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts based in Virginia. The goal of the program is to train teachers in the use of performing arts techniques while teaching children basic academic and life skills through active participation in performing arts activities.
Wolf Trap fulfills the needs of California schools through:
Parent involvement
Educating for diversity
Teacher training
English-language and vocabulary acquisition that promote pre-literacy
Incorporates the California state standards on the arts for re-kindergarten
Through the Wolf Trap Artist Residency, teachers actively participate in a seven week residency and gain the experience and confidence needed to integrate the arts into the on-going curriculum. Teachers receive a copy of Stages, curriculum book of drama, creative movement and music activities along with an accompanying cassette which they may keep and continue to use after the residency. There is also a collection of Spanish translations, Aprendamos, available in Spanish.
A Wolf Trap Artist Residency includes:
One hour general session with site director, artist, regional director and participating teacher
One hour planning session(s) with artist and each teacher
Fourteen 45 minute class sessions with teacher and artist including planning time
One hour parent workshop
Stand Alone Professional Development or Parent Workshops:
These participatory workshops are designed to train groups of teachers and arts professionals in Wolf Trap performing arts activities and are conducted by Wolf Trap artists.
Interested participants can further their learning by taking the more intensive seven-week residency program which includes curriculum materials and one on one with the artist.
Workshops are available separately and in conjunction with an Artist Residency and are appropriate for training conferences, in-service sessions and other staff development functions.
Learn more about the national Wolf Trap Program.
For more information, please email schoolprograms@musiccenter.org.
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