The 25 strategies described in this book can be used to develop personal creativity, student creativity, and creativity in colleagues and staff members. The strategies are based on investment theory, a psychological theory of creativity, but any one strategy is consistent with many other theories. The investment theory of creativity asserts that…

Defining creativity as a process that draws upon talents, education, skills, thinking and working styles, and inherent intelligence, and pinpointing motivation as the single most important ingredient in the creativity recipe, this book provides dozens of concrete, hands-on exercises and techniques that can help a parent or teacher keep creativity…

Describes Image-Making, a workshop in creative bookmaking based on a series of simple, carefully structured, parallel verbal and visual activities. Explains how each teacher and student designed and created an individual book (of his or her own poems and visual images) and a large communal book. (MG)

Describes the rise of musical notation in the West, showing the relationship between that development and the origin of music literacy in China. Suggests that the balance of oral and literate means of music learning may foster creative expression in performance. Encourages the study and practice of orality in the training of young musicians. (LS)

A developmental chart of dance and art is presented according to Piaget's three stages of mental development: intuitive thought, concrete operations, and formal operations. Development is charted for dance/movement and art beginning with a sensorimotor unit (1 to 3 years), through self awareness (3 to 5 years), motor skills (5 to 7 years), form (7…

Focuses on ways that children in art classes can be "gift artists." Discusses different types of gifts that children can create, such as presents for their parents or presents that have been personalized. (CMK)

Believes that it is important to continue to teach students film photography even with the advent of computers and digital photography. Focuses on the benefits of film photography for students, such as serving as a creative outlet and the enthusiasm exhibited by students working with film photography. (CMK)

This article compares three theories of the creative process taken from aesthetic philosophy: aesthetic enjoyment (D. W. Gotshalk), aesthetic experience (John Dewey), and aesthetic knowledge (Susanne Langer). Each shows different versions of the learning that accrues from creative activity. From this, curriculum planning and teaching suggestions…

Provides classroom examples of appropriate methods for extending art understanding through discussion. Suggests that teachers can easily foster art appreciation through nondirective means; the children can then select what is important to them and thereby begin to build their own personal store of imagery, which can lead to enhanced learning in…

Describes a creative project for anatomy and physiology students in which students make a collage of the integumentary system. Includes guidelines that address the collage's size, composition, content, clarification, and grading. (MDH)

Asserts that the difference between average marching band performance and the truly memorable performances is a result of creative charting. Discusses four stages of creative thought that can be applied to marching band strategy: (1) preparation; (2) incubation; (3) illumination; and (4) verification. (CFR)

Maintains that jazz is the improvised variation of a melody based on a previously established harmonic and rhythmic framework. Provides teaching suggestions for introducing jazz to school bands and encouraging improvisational playing. Asserts that helping students play jazz is not easy, but it will develop creativity and confidence. (CFR)

This digest considers teacher- and child-initiated strategies for enhancing young children's self-expression and creativity. When teachers think about art and creative activities for children, it is important for them to consider that young children: (1) are developmentally capable of classroom experiences which call for (and practice) higher…

This book describes an art program that combines the knowledge, imagination, and evaluative factors of creativity for a productive pattern of student growth in perception, thinking, valuing, and art skills. Over 200 basic concepts have been arranged in logical, developmental order to give students a valuable body of knowledge. Instruction focuses…

Discusses why art activities are an important part of a child's development. Cites reasons open-ended art activities have a place in early childhood programs, including: children love them; art materials provide hands-on, sensory experiences; art provides an outlet for the innate creativity of children, allowing them opportunities for unique…