A review of Cinderella, by Shanie, age six:
One day there was going to be a fancy ball. Cinderella wasn't going to get to go, but then something very exciting happened. I liked to read this book because I like fairy tales. I also like to read about evil people. It's exciting and a little scary. I would recommend this book about Cinderella to my mom because she likes to do chores.
The Spaghetti Book Club provides book reviews "by kids, for kids." It's incredible. The kid-crafted illustrations that accompany the reviews are just as fridge-worthy.
Regarding the theory that kids are set up for disappointment and failure later in life when they value their innate gifts too highly over their ability to grow, this Scientific American article claims that the key to developing a child's potential is teaching the child that the greatest reward comes from effort, not intelligence or ability.
The students who held a fixed mind-set, however, were concerned about looking smart with little regard for learning. They had negative views of effort, believing that having to work hard at something was a sign of low ability. They thought that a person with talent or intelligence did not need to work hard to do well. Attributing a bad grade to their own lack of ability, those with a fixed mind-set said that they would study less in the future, try never to take that subject again and consider cheating on future tests.
via Marginal Revolution
My anxiously-awaited Top 3 Picks from WXPN's Top 10 Kids' CDs of 2007:
- 'Do What the Spirit Say Do' by Sweet Honey in the Rock (uptempo Gospel to instantly elevate)
- 'Have You Ever Really Looked at an Egg?' by Peter Himmelman (well, have you?)
- 'Poopsmith Song' by Over the Rhine (because the speak-singing of the chorus is perfectly deadpan)
- and Honorable Mention for 'Brush Your Teeth' by the Dream Jam Band (for Mr. T-like earnestness and urban realism)
The Firefly is a cell phone for kids. It doesn't have a keypad, but it's got dedicated buttons for calling mom and dad and accessing the parentally controlled address book.
Drawings of war from children caught up in the Sudanese cleansing in Darfur. "Without any instruction or guidance, the children drew scenes from their experiences of the war in Darfur: the attacks by the Janjaweed, the bombings by Sudanese government forces, the shootings, the burning of entire villages, and the flight to Chad."
Video for a kids version of Since U Been Gone. There's nothing awesomer than this. The slow-mo crowd reaction shots, a tiger doing a David Lee Roth jump split, kids shouting during the chorus....are you kidding me? None more awesome!
