Place for Wonder: Reading and Writing Nonfiction in the Primary Grades

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, lifelong learners.

The author's research shows that many primary grade state standards encourage teaching for understanding, critical thinking, creativity, and question asking, and promote the development of childr…