Nurturing Next-Generation Innovators: Open-Ended Activities to Support Global Thinking

by Ellen Booth Church

Overview

Children need a broad view of the world to better work with others and achieve academic success. That means being able to see many perspectives, listen to others, and share their own ideas and perceptions. Nurturing Next-Generation Innovators aims to prepare the next generation of global citizens with simple activities that start with identifying different perspectives and then challenge them to notice what they perceive.

The themes in Nurturing Next-Generation Innovators are meant to ask children to notice relationships, investigate same and different, use perceptions to develop inductive and deductive reasoning, and evaluate their processes and thinking. All of this in the context of fun songs, games and activities. 

This book is organized differently than the traditional activity book, which is divided into sections by skill or curriculum area. Instead, it is divided into four major themes that walk children through increasing understandings of their place in the world. Literacy, math, science, motor skills, and social skills are woven into each theme. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780876596692
Publisher:	Gryphon House Inc.
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	168
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ellen Booth Church began her career as a preschool and kindergarten teacher who explored the possibilities of combining cognitive learning experiences with creative play. Later, as an associate professor of early childhood at SUNY Farmingdale and as an author, she shared her unusual approach with her students and with early childhood educators in her classes and in a variety of books, magazines, and articles. In recent years, Ellen has become passionate about fostering early childhood education programs in India and has spent the last couple of years assisting with the creation of preschool programs there. Ellen is currently writing and consulting for Scholastic’s Parent and Child Magazine.
Ellen Booth Church, a former associate professor of early childhood at SUNY Farmingdale, has shared her unusual approach of combining cognitive learning experiences with creative play in a variety of books, magazines, and articles for early childhood educators. Church is currently an adjunct professor of early childhood at Nova Southeastern University and is developing preschools in India and Nepal as well as presenting keynotes at conferences around the world. 

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 1

How to Use This Book 3

An Open-Ended Approach to Learning 5

Global Guidelines and Key Philosophies 7

The Change in Play 8

The Importance of Hands-On Experiences 9

The Necessity of Making Mistakes-Developing a Growth Mindset 11

The Art and Wisdom of Problem Solving 12

Skills for Exploring Learning Themes 12

Communicating with Families 15

Theme 1 How I See the World-The Art of Observing and Comparing 19

Playing with Names 20

Playing with the Letters of My Name 23

Playing with Lines 26

Playing with Sounds 29

Playing with Opposites 32

My Face, Your Face 34

My Body Your Body 37

How My Body Works 41

My Sense of Seeing 44

Seeing with All My Senses 47

Theme 2 How I Interact with the World-Understanding the Needs and

Feelings of Ourselves and Others 51

I Am, You Are 52

So Many Messages 55

Puppets Speak! 58

Communicating without Words 60

Who Needs Me, and How Can I Help? 62

Every Living Thing Needs Water 66

We All Need a Place to Live 69

We All Need to Feel Safe and Healthy 72

Everybody Needs to Eat 75

Animals Have Needs, Too! 79

Theme 3 How I Live in the World-Playing and Working Together 83

It's All Child's Play and Work 84

Work and Play in the Community 87

Our Family Works and Plays Together 90

Problem Solving with Work and Play 93

We Can Follow Directions 97

That's Funny! 100

Tools Help Us Work and Play 103

Energy Helps Us Work and Play 107

Cooking with Tools and Energy 110

Playing and Working with Light and Shadow 113

Theme 4 How I Experience the World-Everything Changes 117

What Is Change? 118

Weather Changes 121

What's in a Season? 124

What Time Is It Now? 127

Seeds Become Plants 131

Cooking and Changing Food 135

Animals Grow and Change, Too! 138

I Can Make Changes 141

Growing Up 144

Then and Now 148

References and Recommended Reading 153

Index 155

Interviews

Durham, NC.