Describes a pictogram system in which letters are made to look like human and animal characters as a way of teaching phonics to children; tells how teachers have imaginatively implemented the system through activities in such areas as drama, singing, and story telling. (GT)

Discusses three books on language and literature instruction that present humanistic approaches to teaching students how to write, think, and express themselves in a creative manner. (FL)

This article discusses how to recognize young gifted children (ages 5-8), gifted education, and issues for teachers. Educators are urged to enable students to make their thinking visible, allow autonomy in learning, allow for imagination and time for deep level thinking, challenge able children, and help children to be self-critical. (Contains 4…

The study of four highly original preschool children found that the children had high levels of inner imagination, extremely varied expressive creative behavior with each having a "specialty area" as a creative focus, and different levels of social competence. Results support D. Shmukler's model for organizing elements of creativity in preschool…

Deals with differences between drawing in art class and in other subjects. Points out that the latter are considered serious learning while learning promoted by art class is often dismissed. Advocates both rational analysis of art and the imaginative extension of such rational art as maps and diagrams to promote visual literacy. (KO)

A review of the research on dramatic play indicates that it provides personal expression and catharsis of inner desires; helps the child to distinguish between reality and fantasy; provides for children's social adaptation; provides a dynamic for learning; and enhances creativity through interaction, transformation, and imagination. (TJQ)

Four articles focus on children's make-believe play: (1) "Make Believe Play: Why Bother?" on the role of pretending in early learning; (2) "Fantasy and Exploration: Two Approaches to Playing" on children's imaginative styles; (3) "Infants Don't Pretend, Do They?" about developing play abilities; and (4) "Problems…

How the essentially imaginative nature of artistic production and appreciation influences the art teacher's role is discussed. Working with six high school art classes, a conceptualization of imaginative art teaching was developed to guide the qualitative investigation of art teaching. A case study illustrates the application of this…

Describes an instructional approach that encourages teachers to guide children in narrating stories based on actual or imagined experiences, particularly those that transpire in the classroom. Discusses ways of incorporating events from dramatic play and everyday occurrences into storytelling activities and offers a story sampler that exemplifies…

Investigated North American children's and adults' familiarity with, and liking for, fairy tales. Results support the hypotheses that children's liking for fairy tales relates significantly to their involvement in imagining activities and that more general imagining involvements are likely to be associated with, or to mediate differences in, the…

Children from South Africa and Sweden were asked to draw their "future family." The drawings were compared to investigate whether or not children's human figure drawings reflect sociocultural variations. Cultural variations were found in terms of spatial relationships (social distance, occlusion, and size scaling). However, cultural…

Maintains that, when children engage in make-believe play, they not only derive enjoyment from it, but they also practice a wide range of basic skills that involve invention, imagination, independence, and language development. (BB)

Presents a set of questions that can be used to (1) assess the classroom or center as a play-promoting environment; (2) set goals for the play portion of the curriculum; (3) begin a discussion of play with other staff members; or (4) help teachers think about the play of particular children. (BB)

Discusses several technical, psychological, and philosophical reasons for the underestimation of reflective teaching that make use of nonrational teacher behavior. Several techniques are described for the promotion of reflection on nonrational processes, such as the use of metaphors, drawing or painting, making photographs, and guided fantasy.…

Discusses how children's picture books can be used by the media specialist and in collaboration with the art teacher to engage children in artistic, imaginative activities. Presents an annotated bibliography of picture books which could be followed up with art activities in the library, classroom, art room, or at home. (AEF)