The "Research in Practice Series" is published four times each year by Early Childhood Australia. The series aims to provide practical, easy to read, up-to-date information and support to a growing national readership of early childhood workers. The books bring together the best information available on wide-ranging topics and are an…

Dance education provides an opportunity for aerobic exercise and conditioning that is especially appealing to many girls. Dance may act as an outlet for girls and give them confidence, but, at the same time, it may create risks associated with perceived body-image. The benefits of taking dance classes were examined for girls, ages 13-20, enrolled…

Dance educators must define the concepts that distinguish dance from other disciplines and other forms of movement. Dance makes use of space, time, and force to become a distinctive art form involving kinesthetic perception and emotional self-expression, as well as motor skill development. (PP)

The greatest advantage of teaching English as a humanities subject is in the way it encourages children's natural abilities to express themselves creatively in words and to empathize with others. The history of the creative movement in Great Britain is traced through various literature. (PP)

Suggests that children's use of social scripts for the production of sustained dialog in peer interaction depends on the nature of role play and that their attempts at script expansion are precursors to adults' recognition of the potential of conversation for self-expression. (FL)

Argues that students must be encouraged to discover their personal reactions to literature rather than to parrot the teacher's response. (MM)

Asserts that literacy can be seen as a dramatic set. Shows how this conceptualization makes sense of the central concerns of language programs and provides an explicit means for developing literacy. Notes that drama activities provide experiences across many linguistic registers. (RL)

Based on the factorial analysis of data collected from 260 undergraduates, this study found differences in self-revealing associated with information content, target person, and sex of subject. Gilding was found to be related to self-disclosure and intimate rather than superficial information. Dogmatism did not influence either revealing or…

The study of artistic works should be organized in such a way that the problem of developing the speech of school pupils is solved, not separately from, but in close connection with their ideational and aesthetic development. (Author)

Describes a teacher's work with a small-group Book Club format for adolescents (who were also parents) and a large-group workshop environment at a juvenile detention center. Shows that art creates powerful catalytic links to writing while serving as a catharsis for the young writers. Suggests that art helps them to concentrate thoughts for…

Interview with Don Seiden--artist, educator, and regional pioneer in the field of art therapy practice and training in the Midwest. Seiden reflects on historical developments in the field and future trends in the profession. Central to the conversation is the unique perspective that artists bring to the fields of mental health and science.…

Reviews the Christian fiction series, "Cedar River Daydreams," by Judy Baer and recommended for grades 7-10. The main character is a girl who has moved to a new town, and struggles with socializing in school, peer pressure, popularity, acceptance of her Down's Syndrome afflicted brother, and being herself. Includes an annotated list of…

Notes that aesthetic movement is a thoughtful expression of some of the child's deepest intellectual intentions. Presents practical classroom activities for preschool settings that offer children opportunities to engage in aesthetic movement that will develop their intelligences, connections across various "knowledge domains," ability to…