Connections: A Child's Natural Learning Tool

Agnes C. Farrell is a public-school teacher in Richmond, B.C.

This is another book in the New Directions series, which is based on the
whole-language process. Baskill is the author of several other books in
the series. This entry is based on the premise that children are always
making connections between what they have previously experienced and
what they are currently experiencing.

Baskill has capitalized on this natural ability by using a theme-based
“interrelated curriculum” in her classroom. She illustrates her
discovery that themes can go beyond language arts to include social
studies, science, and math, helping children make connections between
what they learn in school and what they learn in the real world.

The author offers many examples of how these connections can be made.
She lists some themes she has used and shows how she has extended them
into the content area of the curriculum. Although she uses the work of
early-primary students to illustrate these themes, teachers of older
children could easily extend the activities for more mature learners.

Although brief, this book contains several suggestions for teachers who
are afraid content will be neglected if they use an integrated
curriculum. It would be even more helpful, however, if the publishers
had included a bibliography of the books and resources mentioned in the
test.