UNIVERSITY PARK—Gail Boldt, associate professor of education and affiliate faculty member in women’s studies, has co-edited a new book that explores the important role that the arts play in the classroom. The book is a teacher-education text titled “Young Children, Pedagogy and the Arts: Ways of Seeing.”
Both Boldt and her co-editor, Felicity McArdle from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, believe that a heavy emphasis on various arts including visual arts, movement and dance, and music as part of a strong, integrated literacy approach can benefit children in the classroom.
“In this book, we brought together work by scholar-practitioners who are all interested in rethinking the arts and young children,” said Boldt. “They share a commitment to research that enriches the curriculum and the learning experiences of all young children and their teachers. They also share the conviction that learning is enhanced through a curriculum that has a strong focus on the arts.”