In this short paper Paula Eleta explores the theme of the value of the puppet in the pedagogical field, mainly in early childhood (0-6 years), as an effective tool to improve the quality of the educational service through play. Under the direction of the educator, the puppet can become an excellent ”assistant” to build new educational contexts, able to offer all those who live in the services different accesses to a common and shared space. The puppet can help to found a more inclusive ”sc...

In this short paper Paula Eleta explores the theme of the value of the puppet in the pedagogical field, mainly in early childhood (0-6 years), as an effective tool to improve the quality of the educational service through play. Under the direction of the educator, the puppet can become an excellent ”assistant” to build new educational contexts, able to offer all those who live in the services different accesses to a common and shared space. The puppet can help to found a more inclusive ”sc...

As the world becomes increasingly more interconnected and globalized, increasingly more families are seeking early (0-6 years) foreign and second language education, prompting educators and teachers to seek out age-appropriate tools which offer an innovative approach to early language learning (ELL).The Multilingual and Intercultural Puppet tries to answer two questions: How can we introduce children to foreign languages at an early age in a natural and also naturally playful way? ...

In this short paper Paula Eleta explores the theme of the value of the puppet in the pedagogical field, mainly in early childhood (0-6 years), as an effective tool to improve the quality of the educational service through play. Under the direction of the educator, the puppet can become an excellent ”assistant” to build new educational contexts, able to offer all those who live in the services different accesses to a common and shared space. The puppet can help to found a more inclusive ”sc...

Practical ways to bring the practices of Reggio Emilia to your classroom.

In her new book, popular author Ann Lewin-Benham draws on her intimate knowledge and experience with the Reggio Approach to present 12 “best practices” inspired not only by Reggio, but also by play-based and Montessori approaches to early childhood education. These practices are demonstrated, one per chapter, with scenarios from classrooms, dialogues of children and teachers, and work samples showing the outcome of using each practice. Used together, the 12 best practices offer...

Using Art to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies: Lesson Plans for Teachers will provide both classroom and art teachers with an overview of six different reading strategies and integrated reading and art lessons that they can implement in their own classrooms and schools. Addressing specific National Visual Art Standards, Common Core Standards for Reading, and National Reading Standards, this book is designed so that classroom and art teachers work either in collaboration in schools wh...

The volume publishes some essays illustrating experiences which attempted to promote reading with very young children in nurseries and infant schools, as part of a project on the picture books by Eric Carle, a well-known American illustrator of children's books. In particular, this initiative took place during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, in a large number of nurseries and infant schools in some areas of Tuscany (Pistoia, Firenze, Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Viareggio, and the E...

Millions of people learn Italian but only a very small percentage of learners can actually speak it fluently. Why is that?People in general are quick to point out that some are naturally built more than others to learn Italian and other languages. This is not necessarily true, however, since we have all come to learn and speak our native language fluently.If you find yourself overwhelmed trying to memorize thousands of Italian grammar rules and vocabulary words or are strug...

A Creative Approach to the Common Core Standards: The Da Vinci Curriculum challenges educators to design programs that boldly embrace the Common Core State Standards by imaginatively drawing from the genius of great men and women such as Leonardo da Vinci. A central figure in the High Renaissance, Leonardo made extraordinary contributions as a painter, architect, sculptor, scientist, engineer, and futurist. A Creative Approach demonstrates that schools can cultivate genius such as Leonardo...

By applying philosophical and historical perspectives to drawing instruction, this volume demonstrates how diverse teaching methods contribute to cognitive and holistic development applicable within and beyond the visual arts.Offering a new perspective on the art and science of drawing, this text reveals the often-unrecognized benefits that drawing can have on the human mind, and thus argues for the importance of drawing instruction despite, and even due to contemporary digitalizat...

The first in the "Fragments" series of digital publishing dedicated to Loris Malaguzzi, and making available to a wider public his writings and talks during professional development, conferences, and conventions. This first volume brings together the "commentaries" for the exhibition "The Hundred Languages of Children" in its two versions (realized in 1981 and 1987), suggesting a series of reflections that formed then, and continues to form now, the foundation of the educational project in...