Reading Reform Foundation gratefully acknowledges the work of Emily Goldberg and Sylvia Goldsmith in creating Pointers for Parents.

THE CLOISTERS

Visit the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan. They publish a fine guide
called, At Home in the Middle Ages: A Gallery-Looking Guide for Children
and their Families.

Attend their Sunday workshops for children 4 through 12 and their families. Workshops begin at 1:00 p.m. Call 1-212-650-2290 for further information.

THINGS TO DO:
Look for the books on medieval manuscripts and examine the beautiful illustrations with your children. Try to write and then decorate a story together in the best printing the child can do. Sketch out an initial letter first, and then decorate it in colors; plan border decorations.

THE MET

Another exciting place for a family outing is The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The “Met” also has a wonderful free guide, Let’s Look at Armor in the Arms and Armory Galleries. This gallery is one of the most popular attractions at the museum. The collection contains more than 14,000 objects and covers 14 centuries of history. Some of the objects were used in actual battles.

THINGS TO DO:
Look at books of coats of arms and discuss the various components that medieval knights put on their shields to identify themselves. Cut out shield shapes and let each child design his own coat of arms. If children can translate the meaning of their names, that can be part of the design. For example, “Flores” could become a flower. “Smith” could be an anvil used by a blacksmith. “Leoni” could use a lion, “Palmieri” a palm tree. If the names don’t lend themselves, the students can just choose the traditional forms used by royalty or favorite themes of their own.