While many texts explore ways to plan and implement story times in both school and public libraries, until now no work has brought together extensive book talks and follow-up activities specifically designed to develop thinking skills in young children. This innovative study offers age-appropriate book suggestions with related questions and activities tailored to a variety of thinking skills, including verbal or linguistic thinking, divergent and creative thinking, analytical and mathematical thinking, visual or spatial thinking, and many others.
The program presented in this volume was successfully developed and implemented in the preschool/kindergarten laboratory school of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, with 90 percent of the participating children selected for gifted programs in both public and private schools. Ideal for children’s librarians, school librarians, teachers of early childhood gifted programs, parents, and homeschoolers, this study provides the tools for making any story hour a “brain power story hour.”

Nancy J. Polette is professor emeritus at Lindenwood University and former director of the University Laboratory School for young gifted children. She is the author of 12 children’s books and more than 100 professional books. Visit her website at www.nancypolette.com.

Nancy J. Polette
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 184
Bibliographic Info: appendix, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6853-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8988-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      v

Introduction      1

1. Literacy Versus Letteracy      3

2. Before We Read      13

3. Building Word Power: Developing Verbal/Linguistic Thinking      44

4. Developing the Creative Mind      63

5. Developing Analytical/Mathematical Thinking      77

6. Developing Visual Literacy      97

7. Developing Critical Thinking      106

8. Developing Positive Relationships and a Positive Self-Image      119

9. The Natural World      133

Appendix: Nancy’s Choices—Nonfiction Too Good to Miss      153

Index      169

“Describes how a “brain power” story hour can provide the opportunity to share books that help preschool and primary grade children develop the ability to think productively and critically”—Reference & Research Book News.