Self-assessment is crucial to visual art learning. Firstly, because the art experience is personalized, any external assessment is insufficient and deficient; secondly, because an individual's creativity is inexhaustible, any acquired criteria of assessment are too static for an open-ended process that is multidirectional and with infinite…

The arts had a definite place in ancient Greek education and played an important part in children's physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth. Education was based on the development of the whole person. Gymnastics, drawing, music, and poetry were used to increase physical strength, moral character, and a sense of the aesthetic. Music,…

Providing descriptive annotations of the best children's picture books published in the last decade, this comprehensive overview is perfect for librarians, teachers, parents, daycare providers, and anyone who works with young children. It is both an excellent tool for collection development and an abundant resource for planning storytimes and…

The literacy-themed poems in this anthology--reprinted from the premier journal for literacy educators, "The Reading Teacher"--give teachers, literacy coaches, and parents a new way to enhance literacy learning. Use this book to: (1) Integrate poetry into classroom lessons to develop students' lifelong love of reading and writing; (2) Motivate…

This book embraces the idea of listening to and learning from students. Although many educational theorists have long argued that incorporating children's perspectives about teaching and curriculum has the potential for increasing students' interest and participation in learning, their radical perspectives are still ignored or dismissed in theory…

This 30-minute videotape program is designed to show educators, librarians, and parents that teaching children how to write poetry will help them feel their worth, instill confidence in them, and create in them an enthusiasm for learning in general. The program is part of the "Poetry and Children Series," which is based on the idea that…

Emphasizes the importance of parents' instilling in their children a love of poetry. Recommends works of poets such as Tennyson, Housman, and Wordsworth that are suitable for parents' reading aloud to children. (ARH)

Written as a resource for teachers, parents and poets working with young children, this publication offers advice about providing experiences with poetry to young children. Material focuses on the "frolicsome use of language,""snap-shot poetry experiences," and classroom poetry centers. Seven references are cited, and a bibliography provides 10…

A variety of children's and preteen books are reviewed, including several introductions to poetry and five books of fiction. The themes of the books are happiness, humor, and hope. (JL)

Noting that parents can open a door to a big, exciting world when they help their children learn to read, this information sheet lists some things parents can do to encourage their children to read and presents a series of reading activities. The information sheet notes that parents can: (1) read aloud to their children; (2) read poems aloud; (3)…

Designed to help teachers, librarians, and parents introduce books of exceptional literary and artistic merit, accuracy, and appeal to preschool through sixth grade children, this annotated bibliography presents nearly 1,800 annotations of approximately 2,000 books (2 or more books in a series appear in a single review) published between 1988 and…

Intended to provide teachers with a list of recently published books recommended for children, this annotated booklist cites titles of children's trade books selected for their literary and artistic quality. The annotations in the booklist include a critical statement about each book as well as a brief description of the content, and--where…

Prepared as a guide for teachers, parents, and librarians, this handbook presents guidelines for developing a collection of movable action books (also called pop-ups, movables, surprise books, lift-the-flap books, or novelty books) appropriate for use with children in the home or school setting. Following a brief description of action books, their…

This bulletin has been prepared to help teachers and parents understand the contribution of creative expression in the all-around development of children. In order to achieve balance among the various learning activities, a school program needs to give appropriate emphasis to the creative arts. Because all the arts are closely related, a broader,…

Designed as a resource for teachers and parents, this guide contains activities to help children from 2 to 8 years old learn from neighborhood walks and field trips. Information is presented on: field trips as an approach to learning, learning processes of children, and techniques to make trips meaningful. Teaching material for each trip includes…