Find Out More : FAQ
Find answers to these frequently asked questions
in the scroll to the right:
What are these workshops all about?
How are the bookmaking kits designed?
Aren’t pop-up books just for young kids?
How do I choose a book?
Can I choose more than one topic?
What if I want a book that isn’t already on the menu?
Will you travel to our school?
What do the book kits consist of?
What materials do I need to supply?
How long does it take to make a book?
What do I need to do to prepare for your residency?
What are your classes like?
Do teachers participate in the workshops?
Can I reproduce the kits and share them with other teachers?
Do you conduct professional development workshops?
What does a book kit cost?
What are your rates?
How do schools find funding to host a visiting artist?
What are Jane McTeigue’s bookmaking workshops all about?
In my pop-up bookmaking workshops, I partner with you and your institution to promote literacy and boost student achievement by integrating the arts across the curriculum.
First, teachers select from a continually expanding line of curriculum-based pop-up bookmaking kits individually customized to your specifications. Then, through fun, hands-on workshops, I guide your K-12 students through the magical process of writing, illustrating, assembling, and binding their own 3-D books. By bringing my workshops into your classroom, you foster discovery, pride, and a deepened understanding of essential content by engaging students in a medium they love - pop-up books!
Since the inception of my pop-up workshops in 2002, I have facilitated the creation of well over 8,500 educational pop-up books with students and educators across the United States. My venues include public and private schools, libraries, community centers, camps, museums, juvenile treatment facilities, detention centers, and psychiatric hospitals.
How are the bookmaking kits designed?
Drawing from 20 years of teaching and paper engineering experience, I design my curriculum based bookmaking kits in collaboration with teachers, literacy coaches, curriculum specialists, and parents. The Kentucky Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts have generously supported this effort.
Aren’t pop-up book projects just for young kids?
Oh, no!
Pop-up books mesmerize people of all ages! As a teaching tool, my bookmaking kits are effective for all grade levels. Each kit is designed specifically to engage and challenge the diverse intelligences and skill sets of students.
The academic content and writing component of each book is tailored to meet the needs of each classroom. Beyond that, my job as a designer is to develop a product that captures the interest and draws out the creativity of each student.
No problem!
Primary students develop motor skills by cutting, gluing, and assembling their books. Students are challenged to exercise new levels of precision in their cutting and gluing. Since pop-up books are near and dear to their hearts, they experience immense pride in creating their own books.
Kits for upper primary, intermediate and middle school students possess higher levels of complexity, requiring students to exercise critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the assembly of their books. These books usually demand more in-depth research and writing. Students learn to integrate these elements into the books in more interactive ways. Students at this level are encouraged to make independent decisions regarding illustration, text, and the inclusion of additional pop-ups.
At the high school level, students are intrigued by the technical engineering involved in designing pop-up mechanics. Students rely on higher level thinking skills as they encounter the creative challenges and opportunities inherent in dimensional book design.
High school level projects rarely involve kits. Instead, students are given parameters within which they generate their own mechanics and content - with my guidance, of course.
How do I choose a book?
There are many ways to go about choosing the right book. If possible, setting up a meeting to look at book samples is a great way to get started. Alternatively, I can help you make a choice by discussing options via phone or email.
I’ll ask you questions about how you want this bookmaking activity to fit into your classroom or school plans:
• Do you plan to use this book project as an introduction to a new unit?
• Will you use this activity as review after the unit is complete?
• Would you like the book project to coincide with curriculum being taught currently?
• When will my visit take place and what curriculum will you be covering at that time?
• Would you like the theme of the book to address a school-wide project, celebration, or literacy event?
• Is there a subject or concept that students just aren’t mastering, that you’d like to approach from a different angle?
• What content areas are your targeted classes being assessed on this year?
Once we’ve discussed these issues, and have chosen a theme, I will collaborate with you on modifying the content of the book kits to your exact specifications.
Can I choose more than one topic?
Yes. During a residency, depending on the size of the school, I often work with multiple grade levels. Typically, a school will select one theme per grade. For instance, the 5th grade teachers might want to work on a Colonial America pop-up book while the 4th graders create Geometry pop-up books.
What if I want a book that isn’t already on the menu?
If you’re interested in a subject for a pop-up book that I haven’t already designed, I can design a new book for you. This is how I keep my list of books fresh and growing! That said, I have to be discriminating. I will only accept special requests for new designs that will appeal to other schools as well.
You may also commission me to design a book that is 100% unique to your school or institution.
Will you travel to our school?
You bet!
What do the book kits consist of?
Pop-up book kits consist of pattern pieces photocopied onto 80# cover weight stock. These pieces will be cut out and assembled by students to form base pages and pop-up mechanics. Kits also include materials for constructing the covers and spines of the books, and templates for title boxes. Certain books require add-ons such as felt, additional colored paper, brads, foam, etc., and these would be included in the kits.
What materials do I need to provide?
You supply white glue, glue sticks, scissors, coloring pencils or crayons, and a manila folder for each student. I am able to supply any or all of these items at additional charge.
How long does it take to make a book?
Since my books are customized to your specifications, I can complete a bookmaking activity with a group of students in anywhere from 30 minutes to 10 hours.
I’ve become a master at designing book projects for any grade level that can be completed in specific amounts of time - large or small. You decide on the desired length of the project based on your needs, budget, and scheduling limitations. I will provide you with creative solutions and options for activities that will work within your parameters.
Now, what does that look like on a calendar?
When I visit your school, I work with each participating class for one hour each day. My basic rate includes up to four sessions per day, four different classes.
A typical residency would be 5 or 10 days long. During that time I usually meet with each group once a day for five days or ten days. My schedule is based entirely upon what works in your schedule. Obviously, the more time we have, the more in-depth students can go.
I am also available for events such as literacy celebrations and career day presentations, where I can facilitate quick hands-on activities with larger groups of people.
What do I need to do to prepare for a bookmaking residency?
This depends on what you would like your students to accomplish and how much time you want to devote to the project outside of my classroom visit.
My workshops are ideal for motivating students to research content and hone literacy skills. Students gain a tremendous sense of accomplishment and pride when they research and write their own pop-up books. This research and writing would need to be completed outside of my classroom time. This can be done before I arrive or after I leave. That part is flexible.
Each book kit is designed with space on each page for student-generated text. You determine how much space you want students to fill.
If you want your students to have a bookmaking experience and don’t have extra time to invest outside of my visits, no problem! Your books will be designed to be completed within our time frame.
Having a visiting artist in your school is an extraordinary event! Here are a few ideas for making the most of my visit:
• Share the excitement! Let your school community know that I’m coming and what our project is all about. Even nonparticipating students feel special when they know someone “famous” is visiting their school!
• Build bridges into your community by inviting parents and grandparents in to assist with the activity.
• Invite state and local politicians to your school to observe first hand the effectiveness of arts in education.
• Plan an exhibit or a culminating event to show off the completed books and to celebrate the students’ hard work.
What are your classes like?
“During Jane's residencies the students are immediately engaged in the creative process. They love learning the various mechanics of the pop-up books, and seeing their project grow into a published piece. The workshop atmosphere and high expectations for success make the residency a week teachers and students always look forward to.”
Donna Stottmann
Student Achievement Consultant
Shelby County Public Schools
My classes are an adventure into the land of pop-up books where students are having so much fun they don’t realize they’re learning core content!
Each class, approximately one hour long, includes a variety of activities that engage and challenge students:
• Discussion and review, in which I introduce the daily lesson and goals, new materials, techniques; and we review the previous day’s accomplishments.
• Demonstration, in which I teach new procedures and share samples of pop-up books from my collection.
• Hands-on creation, in which I guide students through the process of cutting, folding, illustrating, assembling, integrating text, and binding their pop-up books.
Class time is structured and productive, while at the same time lively, joyful, and engaging. It is peppered with questions and answers, show-and-tell, sharing, and reinforcing essential content and vocabulary.
Creating a pop-up book challenges students with continuous opportunities for analysis and problem-solving. This broad set of challenges engages diverse learners with special needs and talents. It brings me tremendous gratification to work with students in this innovative way and to witness each student’s sense of accomplishment and success.
Do teachers participate in your workshops?
Oh yes! Teachers are encouraged to participate fully in all activities. Not just because it’s fun, but also because children get much more out of the experience when they see their teachers taking it seriously. Teachers, aides, and parent/grandparent volunteers are excellent models for students as they are learning and creating along with the group.
Can I reproduce the kits and share them with other teachers?
No, this copyrighted material may not be reproduced. The kits may only be built by participants in my workshops at this time.
However, teachers and parents participating in the activity will be provided with a set of basic pop-up patterns that can be reproduced. By working closely with me throughout the residency, adult participants will gain the technical skills and experience necessary to turn these reproducible patterns into pop-up designs by adding graphics and text of their own.
Do you conduct professional development workshops for educators?
Yes I do. My professional development workshops cover an assortment of topics and strategies for using handmade books to promote arts and literacy across the curriculum.
My PD workshops provide teachers with hands-on experience in bookmaking. Participants receive resource material including helpful book titles, web sites and supply sources, all relevant to making books with kids. Teachers can expect to create samples of different book structures (depending on the workshop), and will take home detailed instructions for each model as well as reproducible patterns.
Often, during a residency, teachers will schedule a one to two hour hands-on PD. These short PDs can be held after school or during faculty meetings.
I also offer 3 and 6-hour professional development workshops independent of my bookmaking residencies.
Some popular PD topics include:
• Designing bookmaking activities for the classroom.
• Innovative book structures meet cross-curricular writing prompts.
• Paper engineering for pop-up books: Taking core content to a new dimension.
• How to design your own pop-up book kits in any content area… it’s easy!
• Quick and easy books and journals.
• 3D Geometry!
Contact me for more information on these and other PD workshops.
What does a book kit cost?
Kit prices are based primarily on the amount of paper used in each book. Consequently a smaller book (fewer pages) will cost less than one with more pages. Since kits are customized for each classroom, there’s a lot of room for adding and deleting pages, and I’m always willing to modify a kit to remain within your budget.
Book kits that are completed within 5 to 10 day residencies begin at approximately $5.00 per student.
Once you have decided on a book, I will quote you a price per kit. At that point we can discuss adjustments to the kits if need be.
What are your rates?
My base rate is $70.00 per session (up to one hour long). My minimum daily rate is $280.00 which includes up to 4 teaching sessions.
So, for example, a one-week residency (4 sessions per day, or up to 20 teaching hours) costs $1,400.00. Materials, mileage, and lodging (if necessary) are additional.
Contact me to inquire about rates for presentations and special programming.
How do schools find funding to host a visiting artist?
Budgets are tight, and at first you may feel that the money just isn’t available. But don’t give up!
Here are some funding sources that have worked for other schools:
• Talk to local businesses about this pop-up bookmaking project. They may want to support you by donating money or materials. There is space on the book’s back cover for recognizing and thanking individuals and businesses who have made a contribution to the project.
• Check to see if your school’s Family Resource Center or Youth Service Center can help fund the project. Bookmaking workshops can address their mission by providing experiences that tap into diverse intelligences and provide opportunities for students with special needs to fully participate.
• Ask your school’s Century 21 program to partner with you on a residency that can include after school workshops.
• Your school’s PTO would probably love to contribute money to this arts and literacy event.
• Vending machine money!
• Federal, state, and local community arts/arts education grants.
• Gifted and talented funds.
• Classroom fundraising drives.
• Ask parents to cover the cost of their child’s book kit.
Do you do birthday parties?
As a matter of fact, yes!
Jane McTeigue | 310.218.9594 |
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