Little Wolf’s Song by Britta Teckentrup A few weeks ago, when we were making totally different animal noises with a different story, one little boy asked me if they could howl. Of course I said yes and we had fun howling for no reason (do you need a reason to howl?), but it reminded me […]
Monthly Archives: December 2014
Jingle-Jingle by Nicola Smee Last week I shared one of my favorite “non- denominational” holiday picture books, “Polar Bear Night.” This one is quite different in tone, but equally lovable. The animals in “Jingle-Jingle” (the same crew featured in her earlier story, “Clip-Clop”) are wearing Santa hats, but there’s no mention of Christmas or any […]
(This piece appeared in slightly different form in my book “Teaching Creativity.”) As teachers, we often assume that praise will boost children’s self-esteem and confidence. And for encouraging appropriate behavior, or reinforcing tasks like learning to tie shoes, praise can be a helpful teaching tool. But when it comes to developing children’s creativity, praise can […]
“Polar Bear Night” by Lauren Thompson If you’re looking for a picture book and music experience to express the joy and peace of the holiday season, “Polar Bear Night” will delight your students with its starry winter magic. This is one of my all-time favorite children’s books, although it was written fairly recently, by Lauren […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 