A Place for Wonder

In A Place for Wonder, Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough discuss how to create "a landscape of wonder," a primary classroom where curiosity, creativity, and exploration are encouraged. For it is these characteristics, the authors write, that develop intelligent, inquiring, life-long learners.

The authors' research shows that many primary grade state standards encourage teaching for understanding, critical thinking, creativity, and question asking, and promote the development of children who have the attributes of inventiveness, curiosity, engagement, imagination, and creativity. With these goals in mind, Georgia and Jennifer provide teachers with numerous, practical ways—setting up "wonder centers," gathering data though senses, teaching nonfiction craft—they can create a classroom environment where students' questions and observations are part of daily work.

They also present a step-by-step guide to planning a nonfiction reading and writing unit of study—creating a nonfiction book, which includes creating a table of contents, writing focused chapters, using "wow" words, and developing point of view. A Place for Wonder will help teachers reclaim their classrooms as a place where true learning is the norm.

Table of Contents

About the Author(s)

Georgia Heard is a nationally and internationally known leader in the field of teaching writing.
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Jen McDonough is a first grade teacher and literacy coach at The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Florida.
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Reviews

Midwest Book Review - November 2009
"A solidly recommended resource that should not be ignored. A Place for Wonder is worth consideration for every primary school teacher."

Once Upon a Teacher - October 2009
"What I liked about this book was that it wasn't simply a 'how-to' recipe for teaching nonfiction. Reading their after-lesson reflections was what made their work even more powerful."

Reading Zone - November 2009
"I use many of Heard's ideas and resources in my poetry unit, so I knew her nonfiction ideas would be stellar. I was not wrong--this is a great book for any teacher interested in growing his/her students' knowledge about writing nonfiction."

Teaching with Picture Books - November 2009
"I really intended just to skim it over. Two hours later, I discovered that I had read the whole thing from cover to cover. Not just read it, but thoroughly enjoyed it, and couldn't wait to pass it on."

Timmons Times - November 2009
"It's the way that the authors capture wonder and curiosity and teach the children to use it in their writing that is a breath of fresh air. This is an amazing addition to the primary teacher's bag of tricks as they teach nonfiction writing."