Our Programs
Each year ICIC works intensively with six early childhood development centers in the District of Columbia. All of the centers we work with encouraged to participate in every program that ICIC has to offer, Dancing With Books, Dancing With Books Act II, Thinking Thursdays, Read With Me.
Currently we are in residence at St Phillips Child Development Center and Rehoboth Baptist Church Day Care Center in Southeast.
Dancing With Books
Dancing with Books is a two month series of arts and literacy workshops conducted by three groups of teaching artists in three art forms; music, movement, African dancing and drumming. Each year one children's book is chosen as a through line for each artist. This year's book is Giraffe's Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.
The goal of these workshops is to introduce new vocabulary and word recognition through singing, dancing and drumming portions of the book! Engaging students in reading through the arts makes books come alive!
Dancing With Books runs for nine weeks and culminates in a sharing of what children have learned. All classroom teachers that participate receive eleven contact hours of interdisciplinary professional education.
Dancing With Books ACT II
“Dancing with Books ACT II” has two components
• Classroom Libraries: At the conclusion of each workshop series ICIC distributes backpacks full of books to each student in participating classrooms to encourage more reading at home. Additionally ICIC gives books, bookshelves and rugs to create cozy reading corners in the classroom.
• On-Site Literacy Training with WETA's “Ready to Learn” : Through “Ready to Learn” workshops, early childhood educators learn how to use children's television programs as a springboard to use books and activities with children to teach them fundamental early literacy skills. http://www.weta.org/kids/readytolearn
Thinking Thursdays
“Thinking Thursdays” is a professional development opportunity for childhood development center teachers in Washington, DC. Workshops take place at the Matthews Memorial Child Development Center in the heart of Anacostia from 12:30 – 3:00 p.m. and include lunch. Workshops are $20.
“Read With Me”
“Read With Me” is a family literacy initiative that encourages families to work on early literacy skills at home. This book based four part series takes place at the end of the day and includes dinner, child care for siblings, and a relaxed atmosphere where families spend quality time with each other. |
