In response to the estimate that 15-20 percent of the school-age population in Wisconsin can be classified as gifted and talented, this document suggests approaches educators can take to identify these students and to design programs to meet their special needs. An introductory section offers an overview of gifted and talented programming options…

A practical guidebook of ideas, lesson materials, and related resources for developing imaginative and productive thinking skills of children is presented to assist teachers and parents. Emphasis is placed on the use of strategies and techniques that enhance originality, mental imagery, reverie, reflection, humor, novel playfulness, and divergent…

Designed for integration into existing school curriculum, this is the fourth in a series of five career education curriculum kits for teachers of grades 4-8. Each kit pertains to one of five specified career education program goals. The goal for this curriculum kit is, "The students will develop skills in decision making, communicating, and…

Comprehensive instructions for selecting, staging, directing, and evaluating a program of readers theatre is provided for teachers of the elementary school grades. A step-by-step guide using a wide variety of detailed examples is presented in the first section of the booklet. Various chapters in this section discuss (1) readers theatre's unique…

This book describes a 2-year project, an aesthetically focused experimental kindergarten emphasizing instruction in perceptual skills to stimulate acute sensory awareness (which would theoretically help the children become more academically able), and use of the arts as an instructional vehicle. The open education model stresses classroom centers…

Coupled with justifications of nondescriptive and intuitive levels, research from Piaget's developmental theory is used to support play as a viable part of a day care curriculum. Within the context of Piaget's theory of play, three developmental stages or classifications of play are distinguished: (1) sensorimotor practice play (infants); (2)…

The method used to prove the value of direct experience teaching in the out-of-doors was taking children on short field trips and excursions and evaluating their attitudes and behavior as well as their accomplishments. Trips ranged from 10 minutes to 2 hours with a 6th grade class. The experiments took place for a period of 9 years (1955-1964).…

The objectives of this curriculum guide for the humanities are to provide a course which explores music, drama, art, and literature, educating the aesthetic responses and motivating the attitudes of students, in addition to giving them a laboratory experience for individual exploration and introducing them to the relationship of the arts and the…

Considering the creation of proper play areas for children (school sites, municipal and mini parks, private homes and backyards, shopping centers, apartment complexes, recreational areas, roadside parks, nursery schools, churches, summer camps, and drive-in theaters) as one of today's major challenges, the author recommends that professional…

Early childhood music programs should be based on two interacting goals: (1) to teach those skills most appropriate to a particular level and (2) to nurture musical creativity and self-expression. Early childhood is seen as the optimum time for acquiring certain musical skills, of which the ability to sing in tune is considered primary. The vocal…

Research indicates that classroom controversy facilitates student problem solving, creativity, perspective taking, epistemic curiosity, conceptual conflict, and transition in stages of cognitive and moral reasoning. Thus, creating controversy is an important teaching strategy for increasing learning and intellectual development. Conditions…

Discusses the artistic characteristics of children ages two through six years and the culturally endorsed shift of emphasis from symbolic play to technical mastery during the course of their artistic development. Reviews teaching practices, educational resources, and teacher training in schools in Australia and the People's Republic of China in…

Explores misconceptions about the place of the arts in early childhood education. Notes that children's creativity usually flourishes in a play-like atmosphere where children have the time, materials, opportunity, and social support to experiment. Suggests three ways to facilitate children's artistic growth and creative expression, and includes a…

Describes a student project of the Anna Frank school for three to six year olds in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in which students developed creativity by exploring the world of dinosaurs. Underscores the reciprocity between children and teachers in guiding the project. (AC)

Asserts that the use of creative drama in early childhood education enhances artistic sensitivity, develops self-awareness, and integrates mental and physical activity. Maintains that creative drama is a learning continuum that extends from the beginnings of creative spontaneous play to the production of theater artists. (CFR)