Here is some of what I have been reading which has helped me think about living and learning together and how children learn.
The Child and the Curriculum, The School and Society by John Dewey
Experience and Education by John Dewey
Books from Sudbury Valley Press about the history, philosophy, life, and alumni of the Sudbury Valley School, most by Daniel Greenberg
Tolstoy on Education selected and edited by Alan Pinch and Michael Armstrong
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
The Lives of Children by George Dennison
Instead of Education by John Holt
How Children Learn by John Holt
Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling by John Holt and Pat Farenga
Schools with Spirit: Nurturing the Inner Lives of Children and Teachers edited by Linda Lantieri
Readings on the Courage to Teach website, particularly those by Parker Palmer
Makers of Meaning in a Learning-Centered School: A Case Study of Central Park East 1 Elementary School by Jon Snyder and others, document available online, http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/13/91/a9.pdf
What Are Learner-Centered Schools? by Jerome Delaney, article available online, http://www.mun.ca/educ/faculty/mwatch/vol1/delaney2.html
Collaborative Intervention in Early Childhood: Consulting with Parents and Teachers of 3- to 7-year-olds by Deborah Hirschland
Teacher by Silvia Ashton Warner
Teaching Children to Care by Ruth Sidney Charney
The Good Preschool Teacher by William Ayers
You Can’t Say You Can’t Play by Vivian Gussin Paley (and everything else she writes)
Ages and Stages by Karen Miller
The Ecology of Human Development by Uri Bronfenbrenner
Caring Spaces, Learning Places by Jim Greenman
The Block Book by Elizabeth S. Hirsch
Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol
Holding Values: What We Mean by Progressive Education, edited by Brenda S. Engel and Anne C. Martin
Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America by Paul Tough
Education for Human Greatness book, booklet, pamphlets by Lynn Stoddard
The Education of the Heart by Thomas Moore
The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness by Dr. Ned Hallowell
Lives of Passion, School of Hope by Rick Posner, Phd.
Making and Extraordinary School, the Work of Ordinary People by Len Solo
Turning Points: 35 Visionaries in Education Tell Their Own Stories edited by Jerry Mintz and Carlo Ricci
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Books on life and spirituality
A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein with Max Jacobson, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Shlomo Angel
In Search of Home: Women working, caring, sharing by Noragh Jones
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism by Megan Marshall
Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up by James Hollis
Composing a Life: Life as a work in progress–the improvisations of five extaordinary women….by Mary Catherine Bateson
Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Nomi Remen, M.D.
My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Nomi Remen, M.D.
Material on the Spirituality and Practice website
Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer
The Education of the Heart by Thomas Moore
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Poetry to inspire the journey
Blue Iris by Mary Oliver
Cries of the Spirit: a Celebration of Women’s Spirituality edited by Marilyn Sewell
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Favorite Children’s Books (Most enjoyed by a mixed age group)
On Resilience and Resurrection
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
On Fear and Overcoming It
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Would You Rather? by John Burningham
Cloudland by John Burningham
Brave Irene by William Steig
The Gray Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher and Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang
Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
On Love and Childhood and Family and Community
Mama Elizabeti, Elizabeti Goes to School, Elizabeti’s Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems by Eloise Greenfield
So Much by Trishe Cooke illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Possum Magic by Mem Fox
Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
“More, More, More,” Said the Baby and other books by Vera B. Williams
The Paper Crane by Molly Bang
Fairy Tales by e.e. cummings
Friendship
George and Martha books by James Marshall
Best Friends for Frances by Russell Hoban (and all the other Frances books are good, too)
Folk and Fairy Tales (fear, magic, power)
Who’s In Rabbit’s House by Verna Aardema
Rabbit Makes a Monkey of Lion by Verna Aardema
Bimwili and the Zimwi by Verna Aardema
Borreguita and the Coyote by Verna Aardema
True Self and Unconditional Love
David Books by David Shannon
Stripes by David Shannon
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham
Intergenerational Relationships
Not So Fast, Songololo by Niki Daly
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Real Work
Douglas Florian books including The Chef, The Carpenter, The Artist
Carrying, Tidy Up, Eating, Bedtime, Get Dressed by Gwenyth Swain
The Great Outdoors, Seasons
Gilberto and the Wind by Marie Hall Ets
Oxcart Man by Donald Hall
Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, Roxaboxen by Barbara Cooney (Roxaboxen written by someone else)
Beast Feast and other poetry collections by Douglas Florian
Strong Feelings, Tricky Situations, Getting Back on Track
When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang
Jamaica Tag Along and Jamaica’s Find by Juanita Havill, Ann Sibley O’Brien
Babushka Baba Yaga, Mr. Lincoln’s Way and many others by Patricia Polacco
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
Universals
Shoes, Shoes, Shoes, Bread, Bread, Bread, Weddings, and Loving by Ann Morris
Funny Stuff
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and many others by Mo Willems
Favorite Chapter Books/Novels for kids and young adults (lots of themes above:)
Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, books, and audiobooks and movies have surrounded me and my kids and day care for the last ten years or so, still haven’t read the books myself!
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
The Phantom Tollbooth
Poetry and Rhymes
My Very First Mother Goose, edited by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells
And Novels I Just Plain Love which are probably just as important to who I am and what I believe as the above, if you believe in the power of stories:)
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little Big Horse and pretty much anything by Louise Erdrich
The Poisonwood Bible and pretty much anything by Barbara Kingsolver
The Beans of Egypt, Maine by Carolyn Chute
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
