Orators of folk literature and nursery rhymes entertain, inform, and persuade their audiences through the straightforward plots in those genres. Because nursery rhymes recitations usually happen in groups, they help children acquire the mechanics of oral communication and promote communal bonding. Although nursery rhymes have a simpler form than…

Over her 23 years of teaching elementary school, Vera, a third grade teacher (and co-author of this article), had often fallen into the familiar rhythm of the fall social studies curriculum, with its predictable narrative of discovery, bravery, heroism, and thanksgiving. Her journey to becoming a more reflective, thoughtful, and equitable teacher…

Young children love stories, and teachers love to read stories. Young children also love to explore the motion of objects--they watch tossed balls, observe objects rolling down ramps, and are mesmerized by spinning tops. Yet it can be challenging to integrate these two loves, stories and exploring motion, in one lesson. Furthermore, while children…

iPads, iPhones, Notebooks, X-Boxes, PlayStations, Televisions, Computers. They've found their way into every corner of our lives. Add to that, the pressures of the modern education with standardized tests and crowded classrooms, and it seems that our children have lost the simplicity of childhood. Are our children losing their imagination, too?…

This companion book to Beyond the Bean Seed: Gardening Activities for Grades K-6 uses children's literature related to gardening, gardeners, designing gardens, multicultural literature, ecology, the environment, and the impact of plants on world economies and politics, to connect gardening in all its aspects to creativity, problem solving,…

Science fiction is a good teaching tool for elementary students because it stimulates the imagination and prepares children for the idea that the world will be different when they grow up. The article presents a science fiction unit, recommending books and activities about aliens, the future, and time travel. (SM)

Many of the most talented authors and artists of the past and present have shared their thoughts and their gifts with young children through picture books. Many picture books allow young children to explore important ideas and to stretch their minds far beyond rote memorization. Young children absorb knowledge at a very rapid pace. In an age of…

Designed to give children a sense of the cultural heritage that fairy tales represent, this instructional unit was originally developed to motivate eighth-grade low-level readers and was later adapted for English as a second language classes and for a variety of elementary and secondary school learning levels. Objectives of the unit are to help…

Articles in these two issues are as follows: "Imagination and Memory: Friends or Enemies" (Earl W. Stevick); "Imagination in Second Language Acquisition" (James J. Asher); "Where the Magic Lies" (Interview with Carolyn Graham); "Drawing on Experience: The Interview" (with John Dumicich); "What Color is…

Parents and teachers may often have wondered how preschoolers learn, or why certain things, events, or people are more interesting to them than others? This book provides information on how young children learn, and offers activities to encourage emerging literacy, promote creativity and imagination, and enhance knowledge and development in music,…