Introduction of the books

 

  Introducing these didactic books for children, all of them have the common theme of fostering the creative process by means of language and different areas of knowledge. These books start, from the very beginning, with the formula for creativity. This formula was shared with me by a colleague through one of his writings. I was so delighted by the formula that I decided to introduce it in my own books. This formula is the main inspiration for my creations. It says:

 

  Creativity is the result of Inquisitiveness plus Imagination plus Invention plus Investigation that multiplied by constant experimentation is equal to permanent Innovation.

 

  Once, I read that Saint Agustín said that he was a man that wrote as he was gaining knowledge and that he was gaining knowledge as he wrote.

 

  If we remove the verb “to write” and replace it with “to teach”, it would say, Saint Agustín was a man that taught as he was gaining knowledge, and that he was gaining knowledge as he taught. Ultimately, this is one of the best definitions of teaching.

 

  In my opinion, the relationship between writer and teacher is remarkable. A teacher is the most important of the creators.

As a teacher, I have realized that I have acquired much theoretical knowledge through my academic studies and my daily life.

 

  I´ve gained knowledge from creative people, my professional life, and several cultural exchanges. All of them support my theories of teaching and learning.

In time, my mind has connected these theories with my experiences and that combination of knowledge and creativity has resulted in these books.

 

  I realize that these books fulfil the saying “When the pupil is ready, the master comes up.”

I studied in Ireland for nine summers. There I gained my enthusiasm for Celtic music, such as Loreena Mckennitt and Classic cinema and Literature. There I read some of the masterpieces that have inspired my writings, such as Elisabeth Gasket´s “Cranford”, and “Ann of Green Gables.”

 

  News in the newspaper, on the radio, or television, a character in a film, the title of a TV programme, the family ties of a friend, the history of birds told by my host family in Ireland and many other experiences have inspired my writing process. I think the most important thing is to feel connected with your surrounding world.

 

  Mr. Severo Ochoa said: “There is nothing that gives you more intense satisfaction than creative activity.”

 

  As far as the objectives of my books are concerned, I highlight the following ones:

__To encourage young learners to read in English Language.

__To introduce students the CLIL methodology

(Content and Language Integrated Learning)

__To foster creativity through readings, activities and projects.

__To make students be familiar with meaningful knowledge.

__To teach students how to learn.

To sum up this introduction, I take into account Albert Einstein´s saying “If you want your child to be clever, read him/ her tales and if you want your child to be cleverer, read him/ her more tales.”

I wish you to enjoy my tales.

 

                                                                                                                                                                 Encarnación Rodríguez Requena

                                                                                                                                                                  Murcia, 2014