"The Child's Right to Creative Thought and Expression" by Jalongo (2003), is an informative article by the Association for Childhood Education International written for educators, parents, and other stakeholders in children's education. It portrays the notion that children should be taught and given the right to think creatively and express themselves through their creative work from a young age. By doing so, it is believed that children today will become "resourceful, imaginative, inventive, and ethical problem solvers in tomorrow's future."
             Jalongo (2003), who writes on behalf of the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), begins her article by outlining the concerns surrounding creativity in children's education today. Jalongo (2003) sets her position from the beginning of the article, which is to make educators, parents and stakeholders in children's education aware of the importance of the early years in children's lives for gaining and enhancing the skills needed for creative thought and expression. Jalongo (2003) continues this position by arguing that the definition of creativity must be improved and expanded so it is coherent with contemporary theory and research. Furthermore, this will then mean that creative thought and expression will not only depend on talent alone, it will also focus on "motivation, interest, effort and opportunity" (Jalongo, 2003). This in turn will reveal the benefits and importance of educating children in creative thought and expression from a young, not only for children themselves but for civilization as a whole.
             Jalongo (2003) uses a recent study of the brain by Runco and Pritzker (1999), as a means to prove to the reader the extent and ability of children's creative thought. Jalongo (2003) also uses this research to justify part of her position which is that creativity needs to be redefined due to recent research. Runco and Pritzker (1999, cited in Jalongo, 2003) hav...