This text presents a creative, child-centered approach to the teaching of dance in the elementary school based on the theories and methods of Rudolf Laban and Joyce Boorman. The content area of dance is briefly described so that the practical experiences presented later in the text can be viewed in perspective. Dance experiences are presented that…

Key factors involved in successfully raising a gifted/talented/creative child are identified. Four factors found to be crucial for talent development include genuine interest and respect for the child, ongoing communication and involvement, conveying an attitude of persistence, and allowing freedom. (JDD)

Dialogical drama with puppets is a specific method of revealing basic cultural values for preschool children. For this study, an interactive performance of a puppet show for young children was videotaped, along with a later performance of the same show by the children. The study compared the techniques used by the adult performers and the children…

Outlines a method to help students through the beginning phases of writing that will also show them the vital relationship between observation and creation. (RL)

Project development activities centered on the components of teacher in-service, classroom activities, curriculum materials, parent/community involvement, and student evaluation. After three years of operation, test scores showed increasingly superior performance in creative thinking on the part of the students. (DLS)

A longitudinal study of 99 students attending 1 rural and 1 urban elementary school in Yugoslavia evaluated the effects of an interdisciplinary play-oriented program based on drama, story making, art-constructive activities, group research, and various games. Results showed an improvement in creativity, motivation to learn, and expressive…

This study examined two neglected dispositional contributions to creativity, needs for uniqueness and cognition, in 150 undergraduates. Results indicated individuals high in the needs of uniqueness and cognition evidenced more creative past accomplishments and produced richer visual and verbal products, more individualistic photo essays, and more…

A Conservative member of the British Parliament addresses the critical need to develop the cultural resource of creative talent. The prime inhibitor of creative development is thought to be the walls of bureaucracy which pervade modern life. Implications for British schools choosing to opt out of local authority control are outlined. (DB)

Discusses the tactile and kinesthetic areas of learning children experience when using clay. Includes practical tips for using and storing clay for preschool use and notes the differences between potters' clay and play dough. (HTH)

A project of the Talented and Gifted Program in Torrington, Connecticut, is described. The project involved classroom teachers, the gifted teacher, art teacher, and physical education teacher leading fourth-grade students in developing a life-size skeleton, a tape-recorded narration explaining the skeletal system, and a song. (JDD)

A graduate class on creativity at the University of Massachusetts was based on a European preschool program which fosters young children's learning, representation, and expression through exploration and mastery of many symbolic media. The class documented nature explorations, repeated experiences to delve deeper into them, and integrated the…

Reviews the history of La Cabana kindergarten, which provides preschool education and meals for 100 children and sewing classes for mothers in a working class neighborhood in Bogota, Colombia. Describes the implementation of a new curriculum which develops child creativity through free choice of activities around a common project. (AC)

Studies the employment of collage by young children as a symbolic activity in organized educational settings. Establishes a taxonomy of collage types and observes their development in two kindergarten classes. Concludes that collage promotes the acquisition of a flexible sequence of skills and reflects a range of abilities and approaches. (DSK)

Focuses on ways to foster and access creativity in engineering students. Presents three case studies that demonstrate the importance of establishing freedom in the learning process as well as providing motivation be it extrinsic or intrinsic. Describes how to monitor the level of success in fostering creativity in students. (Author/PVD)