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Programs > Early Childhood Programs > Early Childhood Residencies

Joyful, play-based learning through evidence-based programs

Early Childhood Residencies

Early Childhood Residencies H
Maryland Wolf Trap

Explore a range of early childhood residencies designed for educators of early learners—from infants and toddlers to Kindergarten-aged children.

During our residencies, Wolf Trap-trained teaching artists embed themselves in your center or school, collaborating closely with one or more classroom teachers to seamlessly integrate their art form into the curriculum's objectives.

These residencies support children's and educators' growth through engaging, play-based learning experiences centered on music, dance, or drama strategies. Each residency is tailored to the educator’s curricular objectives.

Jump to a residency:

Early Childhood Residencies

    Baby Artsplay!™ Residencies

    Infants +Toddlers (ages birth-4)

    Our Wolf Trap Baby Artsplay!™ residency model is an arts-integrated program for infants and toddlers ages birth-4 and their caregivers and educators.

    Weekly Baby Artsplay!™ classes use research-based arts strategies to support the cognitive, physical, and social development of infants and toddlers and build the capacity of educators and caregivers to use these teaching methods on their own. These developmentally appropriate activities include storytelling, creative movement, singing, and music-making with simple rhythm instruments.

    During the program, teaching artists work directly with children, educators, and caregivers, coaching the adults as they lead performing arts-based activities for the early learners. This collaborative, hands-on approach ensures that educators and caregivers receive effective training for using the arts in daily activities to improve learning.

    Choose the best option for you:

    Family and Caregiver Residency

    During a Baby Artsplay!™ Caregiver residency, teaching artists partner with caregivers and their children to develop strategies for incorporating singing, dancing, drama, and other multi-sensory activities into their child’s daily routine. This collaborative, hands-on approach helps caregivers tap into their child's innate sense of curiosity and desire to connect to the world around them.

    Setting: Baby Artsplay!™ Caregiver residencies often take place in Judy Centers, libraries, and other community-based centers.

    Classroom Residency

    During a Baby Artsplay™ Classroom residency, teaching artists work with educators and their children in an embedded professional development model, supporting educators in integrating singing, dancing, drama, and other multi-sensory activities into their classroom routines. This collaborative, hands-on approach ensures educators receive effective training to use the arts to improve learning.

    Setting: Baby Artsplay!™ Classroom residencies typically take place in child care, Early Head Start settings, and Family Support (Patty) Centers.

    Pre-K and K Literacy + STEM Residencies

    Ages 4-6

    Our Wolf Trap Pre-K and Kindergarten residency model is an evidence-based embedded professional learning program recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. These residencies boost educators' confidence in utilizing drama, music, and dance strategies to enhance early childhood developmental domains.

    Wolf Trap residencies embed a teaching artist in the classroom of a Pre-K or Kindergarten teacher for five to sixteen sessions. Through this highly collaborative experience they work with the teacher to integrate performing arts strategies into core curriculum topics, including literacy, math, and science. Teachers learn effective ways to engage students in participatory arts activities so that music, dance, and theatre remain a strong part of their lessons after the residency ends. This evidence-based residency model:

    • Trains teachers to effectively integrate the arts in their classrooms
    • Provides joyful, active learning experiences for Pre-K and K students that are either literacy or STEM-based
    • Supports the development of school readiness skills in children
    Choose the best option for you:

    Literacy Residency

    The Wolf Trap Literacy Residency is designed to be a highly collaborative and creative partnership between teaching artists and educators to improve students’ literacy skills. In each residency, a Wolf Trap teaching artist shares how to use the performing arts to engage students and enrich their learning environment.

    Setting: Wolf Trap Literacy Residencies typically take place in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms.

    STEM-based Residency

    The Wolf Trap STEM-based Residency is designed to be a highly collaborative and creative partnership between teaching artists and educators to implement strategies and content that correlate fundamentals of dance, drama, and music with math learning outcomes in areas like geometry and spatial relations, numbers and operations, pattern, measurement, and math reasoning.

    Setting: Wolf Trap STEM-based Residencies typically take place in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms.

    Pre-K and K Theme-based Residencies

    Ages 4-6

    A theme-based residency is a series of five student-centered workshops that focuses on creating engaging, interactive arts or arts integration experiences for children in Pre-K or Kindergarten.

    In our theme-based residencies, the teaching artist uses common early childhood themes (all of which connect to one of the main early childhood domains identified by the Maryland State Department of Education) to create an immersive and developmentally appropriate experience for children. Some examples of these themes include positional words, weather, cooperation, and the five senses.

    Each theme-based residency begins with a "kickoff" assembly, an early childhood interactive workshop, or a professional development workshop.

    Choose the best option for you:

    Interactive Arts Focus

    In a theme-based residency with an interactive arts focus, the teaching artist uses arts standards to introduce children to the elements of dance, theater, and/or music. This might look like a dance teaching artist guiding students in becoming their own choreographers and developing a class dance connected to the theme of cooperation.

    Setting: Theme-based residencies typically take place in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms.

    Arts Integration Focus

    A theme-based residency with an arts integration focus goes even deeper, connecting an art form to an early childhood curriculum such as math, science, or literacy. These residencies support student understanding in key developmental domains through arts experiences, providing opportunities for creatively exploring curricular areas. For example, a theatre teaching artist might help children understand story sequencing by acting out a hibernation story they're reading from beginning, middle, to end.

    Setting: Theme-based residencies typically take place in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms.

    “This program has made me more confident in getting my students up and moving. I now feel comfortable integrating performing arts into my curriculum, lessons, and activities in a meaningful, productive, and comprehensive manner so my students are having fun and learning at the same time.”

    —Kim, Patapsco Elementary Middle Teacher

    Maryland Wolf Trap

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