Reading and writing comics are fantastic ways for students of all ages to develop their literacy skills and nurture their creativity. In my Cartooning for Creatives class with 优蜜视频, we read comics and analyze them for their literary techniques, such as character, setting, tone, perspective, plot, and more. Then, we put this knowledge to use through creating our own comic characters and narratives. Several resources have been invaluable in teaching comics for children, and I would recommend them heartily to anyone interested in encouraging their child鈥檚 burgeoning literary and artistic skills through this medium.

If you are looking for age-appropriate and engaging comics for your child, TOON Books are an award-winning series of comics and graphic novels published for young readers. They are specifically aimed at encouraging and developing young and reluctant readers鈥� skills, and helping children develop a lifelong love of reading. Their books are grouped by different reading levels, so you can find the right book that is appropriate for your child鈥檚 abilities.

If your child is feeling inspired by reading comics and wants to make their own, there are two guides to making comics that I love. The first is . This book is aimed towards younger students 鈥� it works particularly well for elementary school students. Brunetti鈥檚 approach is accessible, fun, and encouraging for writers and drawers of all skill levels. It gives prompts that are easy to follow for young artists and writers, as well as prompts for those who are ready to explore more advanced techniques and concepts. For late middle- and high-school aged students, I recommend . Like Brunetti, Lynda Barry teaches comic-making at the college level, and this book is geared towards more mature students (although many of the exercises are entirely adaptable for young students). It offers a ton of prompts that ambitious artists and storytellers can pursue, in addition to Barry鈥檚 own meditations on the creative process and the power and necessity of art-making.

One of my favorite prompts from Barry鈥檚 book is the Scribble Monster Exercise. For this exercise, fold a paper in half twice so that you have four quadrants. Then, in each quadrant, make a very quick scribble. Once you have all four scribbles, choose one of the scribbles. Put on a timer for four minutes, and spend those four minutes turning the scribble into a monster. 顿辞苍鈥檛 stop drawing for the whole four minutes 鈥� keep adding details! Once the timer goes off, re-set it and do the same exercise again with a different scribble. By the end of it you鈥檒l have four entirely unique and strange creatures that you could鈥檝e never imagined before!

Rebekah Agwunobi, Washington
Cole Arnett, Texas
Tuvya Bergson-Michelson, California
Paige Busse, New Jersey
Audrey Chin, California
Galileo Daras, California
Miranda Derossi, Nevada
Eden Fesseha, Pennsylvania
Elias Garcia, New Mexico
Aeden Gasser-Brennan, California
Calder Hansen, California
Matthew Hurley, Illinois
Michelle Jeon, California
Anjalie Kini, Colorado
Ethan Knight, California
Kathy Lee, California
James Liu, Oregon
Holly McCann, North Carolina
Nicholas Miklaucic, North Carolina
Catherine Phillips, North Carolina
Emily Powell, California
Ruhi Sayana, California
Jeffrey Shen, California
Henry Spritz, Maine
Yajur Sriraman, New Jersey
Seth Talyansky, Oregon
Sophia Vahanvaty, California
Andy Xu, South Carolina
Ivy Zhang, New Jersey
Jacob Zimmerman, Massachusetts

The awards highly gifted students with a four-year scholarship to a high school that fits their individual intellectual and personal needs. Students apply in 7th grade. If you are interested in receiving information about the 2015 Scholarship as it becomes available, please join our email list.

Bonnie is the Program Coordinator at 优蜜视频 and has extensive experience working with gifted middle school students to find the high school that best fits their individual intellectual and personal needs.

When applying to competitive, selective independent schools, many things count, including grades, test scores, extracurricular activities and the interview. Here is a basic list that will help students and parents get through this important part of the admissions process and allow the applicant to show yourself as the accomplished, unique person you are:

Student Applicants

顿辞苍鈥檛 panic! If it鈥檚 difficult or impossible for you to relax, think of the interview as a friendly get-to-know-you conversation and an opportunity for you to learn more about a prospective school as well as the interviewer to learn about you off paper as a multi-dimensional person.

If possible, try to secure an interview in the morning, when both you and your interviewer will be fresh. You want to look and be awake and attentive. Get plenty of sleep the night before and eat a nutritious breakfast.

Dress according to, but slightly nicer than, the school鈥檚 dress code. No jeans. Girls, if you tend to play with your hair when you鈥檙e nervous, tie it up and secure bangs out of your face. Guys, brush your hair.

顿辞苍鈥檛 slouch. Always sit with your legs together.

When you meet the interviewer, give a firm handshake, smile, look him or her in the eye and clearly enunciate your first and last name.

Two important elements to bring to a school interview are honesty and curiosity. If a tour of the school precedes or follows the interview, listen attentively and ask questions. It will make you appear more interested in the school and gives you a chance to listen instead of talking. If you鈥檙e someone who, when nervous, can鈥檛 always think on the spot, make a list of questions ahead of time after you鈥檝e researched the school on its website.

Be original in your answers and be yourself! Honesty, remember? Never try to present yourself as someone you think the interviewer 鈥渨ants鈥� to see.

Do not mention repeatedly that this school is your number-one-top-choice unless it absolutely is. Even then, don鈥檛 go overboard, as it may appear ingenuous to the interviewer.

Always remember to appear cheerful. 顿辞苍鈥檛 mumble or look bored. Keep eye contact.

If your parents are part of the interview, look at them when they talk and don鈥檛 look annoyed or embarrassed by their remarks. It makes a very bad impression if you don鈥檛 seem to get along with your parents.

When the interview is over, shake the interviewer鈥檚 hand and say, 鈥淭hank you for your time.鈥� If offered the interviewer鈥檚 card, accept it graciously. Say goodbye and thank you to the receptionist if he or she is on your way out.

Write a nice thank you note. It should be brief but express an aspect of the interview that was personal to you. In other words, not a generic thank you. For example, if the interviewer addressed your love of art, mention that in your note. If you liked a particular building鈥檚 architecture, note that.

Do not, under any circumstances: slouch, wave to people you know who might pass by, stare off into space, interrupt or talk about any other school.

Parents

In preparing your son or daughter for a school interview, it is a good idea to explicitly discuss what the expectations are with them. This conversation should include the etiquette of an interview such as greeting, leave-taking with thanks, shaking hands and appropriate dress, which will depend on the school鈥檚 style.

If it鈥檚 likely that your child will be asked questions directly, you may wish to practice, but not to the extent that your child鈥檚 responses come off as rehearsed or canned. This is about making your child feel comfortable and prepared鈥攏ot robotic.

Do not over-emphasize the importance of the interview so that your nerves become transmitted to your child.

Commonly Asked Interview Questions

• Describe yourself or Tell me about yourself. This is a great way to segue into your interests, which should be an area you are comfortable talking about.
• What appeals to you about this school? Why do you want to enroll here?
• What extracurricular activities are you interested in?
• Why should we select you?
• What do you do in your spare time?
• How will you benefit from attending this school?
• Describe your family.
• Do you have any questions about this school?

Above all, everyone involved in the interview process should remember to be relaxed, genuine, and honest. This is one aspect of a multi-tiered application process to help determine if the applicant and the school are the right fit for each other, not the be all and end all towards the holy grail of school admission.

Have you or your kids participated in independent school interviews? What tips do you have for other applicants and parents preparing for them? Please share in the comment section below.

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