This paper introduces the results of an evaluation of the Forum-theatre workshop method, which was designed within the framework of a resilience-building intervention. About 230 in-service vocational school teachers in Canton of Ticino participated in the study. A mixed-methods research design was applied to investigate potentialities of the…

The Early Learning Guidelines: Nebraska's Birth to Five Learning and Development Standards (hereafter referred to as the Guidelines) is a resource to provide information about young children's learning and development. The Guidelines are intended to assist adults in planning and providing meaningful learning experiences and environments for…

The traditional kindergarten program often reflected a rich but generic approach with creative contexts for typical kindergartners organized around materials (manipulatives or dramatic play) or a developmental area (fine motor or language). The purpose of kindergarten reflected beliefs about how children learn, specialized training for…

What kind of environmental and administrative factors support the balance between child-centred and teacher-directed practices in the early childhood classroom? What specific aspects of children's development are nurtured by this pedagogy? These and other pedagogical issues are addressed in this article as it describes how a particular curriculum…

Blending the arts into students' learning of science concepts through role-play and drama is unusual pedagogy in schools. For seven Australian Year Five students seeking extended learning, advanced scientific concepts were learned during the creative process of script writing and production of a science play called "Hectic Electric". A…

Improvisation can show teachers ways to use the senses to make ideas, emotions, or any academic lesson stick with a child. By using improvisational techniques, the teacher asks the student to play--to be active and to discover. For example, there are games to help the child to concentrate, verbalize, touch and make contact with other children, and…

Reports on 10 documents from the ERIC system that provide insight on the creative process and information on a variety of creative classroom activities. (PD)

This document outlines an approach to creativity called "developmental dramatics," in which process is considered to be infinitely more important than performance. "Four pillars of the foundation of learning" are explored in discussions of art and visual, music, movement, and make-believe activities. Basic guidelines for…

This paper outlines research which examined the relationship between drama and writing, detailing the method of enquiry, theoretical foundations and emergent findings. The study sought to understand the nature of the support that drama offers children as writers and to identify features of writing which regularly surfaced in drama-related writing.…

The creative arts--including music, movement, dramatic play, puppetry, painting, sculpture, and drawing--are a crucial part of early childhood. Not only do the arts allow children to express themselves, but creative activity can enhance development of children's skills in literacy, science, math, social studies, and more. This engaging collection…

Learning through the arts has the potential to stimulate open ended activity that encourages discovery, exploration, experimentation and invention, thus contributing to children's development in all areas of learning and helping to make the curriculum meaningful to them. In this book, the author draws on her extensive experience of promoting young…

Recommends that drama be included in early childhood education, emphasizing preschool education. Cites research linking drama with enhanced language acquisition in children, ages 3-8. Emphasizes drama's effectiveness as a multisensory learning medium. Notes programs offering drama training for teachers. Suggests changes in teacher education and…