Do you want to understand young children′s development in greater depth? Would you like to see how they view the world around them, and what they think the future might look like? Creativity in early childhood is an area of fascination for all those working with young children, and this book investigates why children create, and what their creations mean. Chapters describe the processes and depict the outcomes of meaning-making, and of making room for children′s voices through the open-ended activity of drawing. Issues examined include: - the increasingly popular use of multi-modal texts; - links between creativity and literacy; - the importance of art in early childhood; - concrete examples of children′s meaning-making, from the author′s research. We see how non-verbal and verbal communication is used to convey meaning, and how children′s voices emerge; the important role imagination and narrative play in the early and continuing development of children is emphasized throughout the book. Ideal for students of early childhood, and for anyone working with young children, this book is a revelatory guide to the mind of the young child.

Ways by which teachers can enhance creativity skills of children in the classroom are addressed in this monograph. An overview of creativity first sets the stage for discussions on the child, curriculum, teacher, and environment. The goal is to show the many faces of the development of creativity in children and to recognize ways to enhance the child's potential to meet challenges. Following the introduction, chapter 2 (The Child) covers early creativity, developmental creativity, and how to recognize creative potential. Chapter 3 (The Curriculum) discusses the relationship of creativity to curriculum, the role of exploration and play, ways to organize classroom activities for creativity, feeling trapped by textbooks and curricula, research on creativity and schools, and curricula to encourage creative thinking. In chapter 4 (The Teacher) focus is on attitudes and styles that foster creative potential, including learning objectives versus performance objectives, the teacher's role as observer, and teacher characteristics that facilitate creative development. Fifteen key points are summarized in chapter 5. Supplementary materials, including a Preschool Creativity Rating Scale, are appended. Contains approximately 175 references. (LB)

How to Foster Creativity in All Children is designed for those dedicated to helping young children reach their full potential. This book has also been written for people who want to know more about creativity, creative children, creative teaching and creative activities in all areas of the curriculum. In our world of rapidly changing technology, it is even more crucial to encourage and cherish creativity in all children. Young children will need to know how to ask questions and search for answers. Creativity is not limited to the art medium; it also extends to every curriculum area. This book was written to help present creative learning opportunities for children throughout the curriculum.

The following essays represent a plurality of visions of the nature of creativity and its place within childhood experience. The authors represent such diverse fields as pre-college education, computer science, psychology, the arts of music, theater, dance, literature, philosophy by/for childrenA and hospital counseling.

Grade level: p, t.

Winner of the 2015 Parent's Choice Award The perfect starting point for creative play, this is the ultimate book of ideas for arts and crafts, building and tinkering, writing and rhyming, singing and dancing, and more! For parents who don't feel they are creative, this book provides an easy entry point for raising creative kids. Creativity is an essential ingredient for a happy childhood, and this is the ultimate collection of ideas for arts and crafts, building and tinkering, writing and rhyming, singing and dancing, and more! With 500 unplugged, hands-on activities for children ages two to twelve, this book goes beyond the simple arts and crafts found in most kids’ creativity books and offers fun ideas for a generous range of imaginative and creative play—all in one giant book. You have the power to encourage creativity in your child’s daily life, whether you feel creative yourself or not. This book is your guide for being a creativity mentor, your handbook for raising kids rich with creative habits and skills, and your toolbox full of ideas and activities. So say YES to creativity! Encourage your child to dabble in all kinds of activities, and discover the magic and beauty of imagination.

Creativity and the Arts with Young Children, 2e is written specifically for early childhood educators as well as professionals who work with children birth through age eight. The focus of this book, now in it's second edition, is on making the vital connection to music, movement, drama, and the visual arts in all areas of the classroom, as well as, developing creative teachers and professionals who will be able to foster an artistic environment. The book includes observations and pictures of teachers and children that demonstrate practical ways the arts can be used to help children reach their potential. There are expanded sections on multi-intelligences, Reggio Emilia, divergent questioning, and art recipes, and the book also includes literacy connections, and activities for adults at the end of each chapter. There are many ideas in the book for open-ended activities that are important for the development of young children and will encourage them to think in new ways. The standards and recommendations from professional organizations are addressed so that the reader can recognize what goals these organizations believe are important in the early years. Thorough in its coverage, the text speaks to children with special needs and cultural diversity, leaving the reader with the most complete information regarding arts in the young child's learning environment.