Nurturing Next-Generation Innovators ─ Open Ended Activities to Support Global Thinking

Children need a broad view of the world to better work with others and achieve academic success. That means being able to see many perspectives, listen to others, and share their own ideas and perceptions. Nurturing Next-Generation Innovators aims to prepare the next generation of global citizens with simple activities that start with identifying different perspectives and then challenge them to notice what they perceive.

The themes in Nurturing Next-Generation Innovators are meant to ask children to notice relationships, investigate same and different, use perceptions to develop inductive and deductive reasoning, and evaluate their processes and thinking. All of this in the context of fun songs, games and activities. 

This book is organized differently than the traditional activity book, which is divided into sections by skill or curriculum area. Instead, it is divided into four major themes that walk children through increasing understandings of their place in the world. Literacy, math, science, motor skills, and social skills are woven into each theme. 

Ellen Booth Church began her career as a preschool and kindergarten teacher who explored the possibilities of combining cognitive learning experiences with creative play. Later, as an associate professor of early childhood at SUNY Farmingdale and as an author, she shared her unusual approach with her students and with early childhood educators in her classes and in a variety of books, magazines, and articles. In recent years, Ellen has become passionate about fostering early childhood education programs in India and has spent the last couple of years assisting with the creation of preschool programs there. Ellen is currently writing and consulting for Scholastic’s Parent and Child Magazine.