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Who We Are

School: The College School

City/State: St. Louis, MO

Grade(s): K

Format(s): Autobiography

Subject(s): English Language Arts, Visual Arts

Project Overview

This tiny, beautiful book was created by kindergarten students at the College School in St. Louis, Missouri as a way to showcase the individual students within a kindergarten class.

Each student created a two-page profile of him or herself that includes a written description of what is important to him or her, a self-portrait done with colored pencils, and a clay sculpture of them created by a classmate (shown in the book as a close-up color photo).

The combination of the writing, self-portrait and the carefully-photographed full-body sculptures give a fresh and charming view of each student. The overall aesthetic quality of the book is superb. Like all products from this classroom and school, the student work went through a process of discussion, critique and revision through multiple drafts.

The College School has a long-time affiliation with the Reggio Emilia preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, schools that focus on high quality art studio environments for young children that encourage creativity and expressive cooperation.

The original dimensions of this book were 4 ¼ by 5 ½ inches, and the kindergarten-size of the book gives it a particular appeal. 

How This Project Can Be Useful

  • A very simple idea done with beautiful care.
  • The size, scale and layout of the book are a great aesthetic model.
  • The writing and artwork are lovely examples of kindergarten work. The self-portraits were carefully done; the sculptures are whimsical and add a nice “extra” layer to each student’s profile; and the writing nicely captures the thinking and feelings of these young children.
  • The addition of sculptures – photographed with great care – adds a lot.
  • Having the sculptures done by other students adds a new dimension to the book.
  • The artwork is evocative of the aesthetics and fine motor ability of young student work.
  • A very pleasing way to introduce other people to the students of one class.
  • Sophistication varies page by page with student abilities, yet all the work is done with real care; it is clear that the work went through multiple drafts and revisions.

Common Core State Standards

Standard Long Term Learning Target
W.K.2
  • I can teach my reader about a topic using pictures and words.
W.K.7
  • I can participate in shared writing projects.
W.K.8
  • With support from adults, I can answer questions about things I’ve done or learned about.
SL.K.4
  • With support, I can use details when I speak to send a clear message to my listener.
SL.K.5
  • I can use pictures to send a clear message to my listener.
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