For the past three years, Marlo has participated in the Pre-School museum lesson Museum Looks and Picture Books. This is a three-part Museum program which involves pre-visit classroom preparation, a Museum activity, and a post-visit follow-up. "It was geared right to my age group. We always try to find trips for the little guys and when I saw this I thought, ‘Perfect.’ I love this because they send us a picture book [with an art connection]. We read the book before we go and then when we get to the Museum, she [the Museum educator] takes us to the galleries and has activities that the kids can relate to and help them understand the art. [After the galleries] we go to a classroom where they have an arts and crafts activity. The whole thing is perfect for them—they understand the art, it’s safe, and they like going there."

The most recent picture book was Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone. This book connected to the recent Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt exhibit at the Museum. "We read the book, then, as we walked around the exhibit, we talked about all of the quilts and the colors and patterns. The shapes were related [to things we were learning]. Then we sat and she used a felt board and gave each kid a pattern. They had to say what the pattern was, which helped them learn shapes. Then they placed their patterns on the felt board to make a quilt. Back in the classroom, they used patterns to make quilt designs."

The final piece involves something more to take back to the pre-school classroom. "We have an extension for our classroom and for parents, including literature for what they can do here at the pre-school and at home. When we come back to the Museum in a few months, they will have a new book. We also build up our book library that way."

For more information, please contact Education: School & Teacher Programs by phone at (215) 684-7580, by fax at (215) 236-4063, or by e-mail at .