Liora Bresler

The Arts in Children's Lives: Context, Culture, and Curriculum Liora Bresler 2002 edition

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index / Avail. in paper (ISBN 1402005547) at EUR 29.95. Review Quotes: From the reviews: "This carefully crafted book is full of insights and destined to become a classic work on early childhood arts education. The fifteen chapters not only enrich our understanding of the role and value of childhood experiences in the arts, but provide a powerful conceptual framework for developing arts education in schools and communities. It is an impressive summary of current scholarship and knowledge on the arts in early childhood, and a book that one puts down refreshed, and with a renewed sense of wonder about the many ways in which the arts can profoundly influence the lives of young children." (Gary E. McPherson, School of Music and Music Education, The University of New South Wales) "This collection of thought-full and thought-provoking articles is a "must" in the library of all educators, and especially those with an interest in the contribution of arts experiences to the socio-cultural and artistic development of children." (Joan Russell, PhD., Faculty of Education, McGill University) "This book is about getting down to the basics' -art, poetry, music, dance and drama- that which comprises the most potent source of young children's learning, and permeates our understanding of culture, development theory and curriculum. Now is the time to look beyond the emergent phases in literacy or numeracy, to how one can emerge with well-developed different selves'. The potential for learning in this book is vast - whether scribbling with crayons or producing videos-not just for the very young, but also for the reflective adult as teacher, researcher, policy developer or parent. This cornucopia of the most brilliant authors in the field, beautifullyshaped by powerful arts advocates, Bresler and Thompson, engages us in meaningful debate on the arts and demands that we consider where and how and when real learning takes place."(Regina Murphy, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Ireland) Review Quotes: From the reviews: "This carefully crafted book is full of insights and destined to become a classic work on early childhood arts education. The fifteen chapters not only enrich our understanding of the role and value of childhood experiences in the arts, but provide a powerful conceptual framework for developing arts education in schools and communities. It is an impressive summary of current scholarship and knowledge on the arts in early childhood, and a book that one puts down refreshed, and with a renewed sense of wonder about the many ways in which the arts can profoundly influence the lives of young children." (Gary E. McPherson, School of Music and Music Education, The University of New South Wales) "This collection of thought-full and thought-provoking articles is a "must" in the library of all educators, and especially those with an interest in the contribution of arts experiences to the socio-cultural and artistic development of children." (Joan Russell, PhD., Faculty of Education, McGill University) "This book is about getting down to the basics' -art, poetry, music, dance and drama- that which comprises the most potent source of young children's learning, and permeates our understanding of culture, development theory and curriculum. Now is the time to look beyond the emergent phases in literacy or numeracy, to how one can emerge with well-developed different selves'. The potential for learning in this book is vast-whether scribbling with crayons or producing videos-not just for the very young, but also for the reflective adult as teacher, researcher, policy developer or parent. This cornucopia of the most brilliant authors in the field, beautifully shaped by powerful arts advocates, Bresler and Thompson, engages us in meaningful debate on the arts and demands that we consider where and how and when real learning takes place." (Regina Murphy, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Ireland) Review Quotes: From the reviews: "This carefully crafted book is full of insights and destined to become a classic work on early childhood arts education. The fifteen chapters not only enrich our understanding of the role and value of childhood experiences in the arts, but provide a powerful conceptual framework for developing arts education in schools and communities. It is an impressive summary of current scholarship and knowledge on the arts in early childhood, and a book that one puts down refreshed, and with a renewed sense of wonder about the many ways in which the arts can profoundly influence the lives of young children." (Gary E. McPherson, School of Music and Music Education, The University of New South Wales) "This collection of thought-full and thought-provoking articles is a "must" in the library of all educators, and especially those with an interest in the contribution of arts experiences to the socio-cultural and artistic development of children." (Joan Russell, PhD., Faculty of Education, McGill University) "This book is about getting down to the basics' -art, poetry, music, dance and drama- that which comprises the most potent source of young children's learning, and permeates our understanding of culture, development theory and curriculum. Now is the time to look beyond the emergent phases in literacy or numeracy, to how one can emerge with well-developed different selves'. The potential for learning in this book is vast-whether scribbling with crayons or producing videos-not just for the very young, but also for the reflective adult as teacher, researcher, policy developer or parent. This cornucopia of the most brilliant authors in the field, beautifully shaped by powerful arts advocates, Bresler and Thompson, engages us in meaningful debate on the arts and demands that we consider where and how and when real learning takes place."(Regina Murphy, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Ireland) Table of Contents: Foreword; L. Chapman. Prelude; C. Thompson, L. Bresler. I: Context Interlude; L. Bresler, C. Thompson. 1. Children's contextual art knowledge: Local and school art context comparisons; K. A. Hamblen. 2. What's to be learned? Comments on teaching music in the world and teaching world music at home; B. Nettl. 3. Becoming Japanese: Manga, children's drawings, and the construction of national character; B. Wilson. 4. The musical cultures of children; P. S. Campbell. 5. Playing the music: Comparing children's song and dance in Namibian education; M. Mans. II: Development Interlude; C. Thompson, L. Bresler. 6. We begin as poets: Conceptual tools and the arts in early childhood; K. Egan, M. Ling. 7. Constructing an artistic self: A cultural perspective; D. J. Walsh. 8. Early childhood musical development; G. Welch. 9. Drawing together: Peer influence in preschool-kindergarten art classes; C. Thompson. 10. Fictional worlds and the real world in early childhood drama education; S. Schonmann. III: Curriculum Interlude; L. Bresler, C. Thompson. 11. What we teach is who we are: The stories of our lives; S. W. Stinson. 12. School art as a hybrid genre: Institutional contexts for art curriculum; L. Bresler. 13. Early childhood literacy education, wakefulness, and the arts; D. K. Thompson. 14. Pleasure, creativity, and the carnivalesque in children's video production; D. J. Grace, J. Tobin. 15. Music technology and young children; P. Webster. Afterwords; W. Ayers. List of Contributors. Index.

Contributor Bio:  Bresler, Liora Liora Bresler is Professor at the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bresler was involved in a number of national and international research projects, including the National Arts Education Research Center and the College Board/Getty Center evaluation on Arts Integration in Academic Subjects. She is co-editor of the International Journal for Education and the Arts and a guest editor for international issues in Arts Education Policy Review. Bresler has been invited to give keynote speeches in five continents and has lectured in various universities throughout the world.