Introducing creativity to the classroom is a concern for teachers, governments and future employers around the world, and there has been a drive to make experiences at school more exciting, relevant, challenging and dynamic for all young people, ensuring they leave education able to contribute to the global creative economy. "Leading a Creative…

Because they're quick and fun to read, riddles can "hook" even reluctant readers and keep them coming back for more. Riddles also improve vocabulary, comprehension, and oral reading; enhance deductive and inductive thinking skills; and promote libraries as places for fun. Drawing on her work with children in schools and public libraries, Dee…

Discusses ideas for the teaching of Latin and Greek such as integrating the study of language and culture, using a natural approach to teaching oral skills, using multiple approaches to maintain student interest, and correlating Latin with other subjects. These ideas were promoted by Francis Parker and John Dewey a century ago and are still…

Asserts that arts can be catalysts for learning and should be a basic part of students' education, describing the traditional school as factory model of education versus school as studio, which uses the arts as a vehicle for curriculum. The paper examines the status of arts education, discusses alternative paths to reform that acknowledge arts as…

Presents case in favor of using line drawings as one of the most effective and least expensive ways of recapturing imagination in the language classroom. (Author/BK)

Describes the reaction of first-year composition students to a classroom performance of John Cage's 4'33" [his most (in)famous piece] and discusses the role of silence in the composing process. (NH)

Describes how curriculum integration can help art enhance learning during times when the arts may be considered dispensable and removed from education, presenting examples of how classroom teachers have examined art as a link to expanded understanding of history, science, math, reading, current events, geography, cultural studies, emotions,…

Considers how the possibility that the use of the specific "technology" of writing might itself alter thought, language, relations, identities, or pedagogical practice. Hopes to create learning environments which acknowledge and support the complex processes involved in learning to write, addressing literacy as an emergent phenomenon of language…

Describes an instructional strategy that uses the format, procedures, and rules of the game show, "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" to teach health education. It helps students understand key health concepts previously presented in other formats and use critical thinking skills to determine appropriate options for potential success. The paper…

Describes how one teacher got elementary students excited about writing poetry by providing them with simple rules and structures and encouraging them to take chances. Strategies included having each child contribute one line to a poem, discouraging rhyming (which is difficult and blocks creativity), encouraging them to write freely, and having…

This book shows teachers how to reclaim their students' attention and, in the process, help them absorb information and stay on task. There are over 30 tips that are practical, not always obvious, and well tested. Three parts focus on: (1) "HotTips for Opening the Lesson" (e.g., fill the room with I.D. posters, ask opening questions, get…

Describes use of puppetry in teaching English as a second language as instructional tool for the teacher and creative outlet for the child. (BK)

Makes suggestions to help families create summer activities for children that lend themselves to learning but still allow for leisure and spontaneity. The article presents activities that involve organizing collections, developing a sense of responsibility, bolstering the three Rs, teaching good citizenship, understanding history, and getting…

The four dimensions of the creative personality--thinking, sensing, intuition, and feeling--are described, as are the creative process (including preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification) and ways in which teachers can assess and promote creativity. Creative classroom environments and teaching methods are detailed. (CB)

Explains that music has many benefits for learners on the autism spectrum, providing an alternative means of communication for those who are nonverbal, and helping organize verbal communication for others. Music can improve self-esteem as children participate in activities they can potentially excel in. Playing a musical instrument gives people…