Early Childhood Curriculum Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Curriculum Essay One of the goals of preschool education is to improve children’s school success. Early childhood educators need to enhance a child’s developmental skills and knowledge. We are to build upon their ever growing need of curiosity and creativity. Without knowing what, why, and how to developmentally teach preschool children in an early childhood environment teachers will not have a great impact on the knowledge children will gain and retain in this environment. Children are eager to learn and acquire new life changing skills. The text (2008) emphasizes the importance of a child-centered curriculum that encompasses the whole child- physical, social, emotional, creative, and cognitive. Teachers practical knowledge of how and what to teach children is not taught in school. Teachers receive and understand the theoretical knowledge of children learning but they are unable to blend the theories with practical applications appropriate for young children. There are many preschool classrooms with qualified teachers but they do not understand the steps needed to provide a curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. Most teachers have the book knowledge but their hands on and one on one skills are lacking when it comes to implementing activities to stimulate and excite children in learning. Kostelnik states that, â€Å"Teachers who lack adequate knowledge in any of these areas are hampered in their attempts to create developmentally appropriate programs for young children. The areas are: the fundamental components of early literacy and numeracy; how children experience literacy and mathematical concepts in their play; what teachers can do intentionally to support literacy and numeracy in all areas of the curriculum throughout the day†. Teachers must know and understand a child’s developmental needs and how to develop ways to meet these needs. Early childhood education recommends that programs utilize Developmentally Appropriate Practices. It is vital that young children have a curriculum that provides learning goals and guidance for teachers to develop activities and interactions. The National Association for the Education of Young Children approved the Early Childhood Standards and Accreditation Performance Standards and Accreditation Performance Criteria in 2005. These standards guide programs in a variety of areas including the curriculum (pp.232-233). †¢ Children have varied opportunities to be read books and to be read to in individualized ways. †¢ Children have activities that allow them to become familiar with print. †¢ Children are given opportunities to recognize and write letters, words, and sentences as they are ready. †¢ Books are displayed and writing is encouraged in one or more areas of the classroom. Curriculum development should focus on promoting learning and development in the areas of social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive growth (NAEYC Program Standards). There should be themes that are hands on and developmentally appropriate. Activities should include: art, math, science, social, studies, reading, and creativity. Classroom s should be filled with laughter and excitement. Hands on learning should take place, stories should be told, and play encouraged. Play is child’s work and when they enjoy what they are doing, then, they are more apt to learn, discover, and investigate their surroundings and environment. So how do we know that play is child’s work? This question and many more are answered when we look at research and theories of education. Theories are the foundation for which teachers choose to teach from. Theories help guide teachers in understanding the reason why they set up their classrooms and for carrying out the lessons they teach children on a daily basis. Theories teach us that relationships are the foundation for learning. We need to have relationship with the children we teach and with families of the children we provide a program for. Theories teach us that children learn through play and that they learn when they interact with their peers and their environment. There are many theories of learning to use to decide what type of curricula to use  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Vygotsky’s Constructivist theory- puts the learner in the center and believes that teachers should provide experiences that link prior knowledge to what they are studying. The constructivist teacher organizes the classroom with children’s stages of development in mind. Children learn when they collaborate with others, discussion and talking about the how and why of things. †¢ Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development- learning is viewed as active, constructive process in which students seek organization and meaning in their worlds. †¢ Abraham Maslow focused on human potential and proposed that all persons strive to reach the highest within them. His theory also asserts that children learn best when their physical needs are met and they feel a sense of psychological safety and security. †¢ B. F. Skinner Behaviorist Theory emphasizes the roles of environmental conditions and overt behaviors in learning. Children learn through the effects of their own intentional responses. Consequences will determine whether a person will repeat a particular behavior that led to the consequences. Our theorists teach us that as children play they are learning about themselves, other people, and the world. As the text (2008) states, learning and development in the early years are critical to the child’s long term well-being. This theoretical base in early childhood education guides and provides a framework of understanding for how children learn. The text also states that, theoretically, there is widespread acceptance of the idea that play is important- that it is the serious business for the young child. Elkind reviewed a variety of theories that support the role of children’s play, including Montessori, Freud, Piaget, and Vygotsky. By taking these theories and putting them into perspective we provide ways to meet the differences and developing needs that children have. For children to excel and have success in school we have to address all areas of their development. Research has shown us that it is during these times of play that a child’s brain is affected. Connections are made as a child repeatedly does the same types of activities. If these connections are not made or used they will eventually disappear. Our text (2008) states that, â€Å"Play is a time where children needs are met. Good play experiences unite and blend all aspects of development, reaping social, emotional, physical, intellectual, moral, creative, and cultural benefits for young children. † As children engage in play in the early childhood classroom they are learning and growing developmentally. Age appropriate activities are provided for them. Vanderwater says that, â€Å"Play is simply shorthand for our capacity for curiosity, imagination, and fantasy — our creative dispositions. † In order for children benefit from play a curriculum is needed to meet their needs. It is important for young preschool children to have a curriculum that includes planned environments and activities in the classroom, such as music and creative movement, dramatic play, singing, and creative art. Planned and unplanned spontaneous learning should take place everyday. We know that children are unique and different therefore they all learn differently. With this knowledge we have to teach the whole child. This includes teaching social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development to preschoolers. Preschool curriculum models vary widely. Some may detail exactly what to teach and how to teach it with step by step instructions. Others on the other hand leave room for teacher ideas and input. Then there are some that provide guidance in developing activities and interactions that are crucial to social development. When choosing curricula, programs need to take into account children’s ages, needs, behavior, language and cultural backgrounds. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialist in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE) therefore advise the following: â€Å"Curriculum is more than a collection of enjoyable activities. Curriculum is a complex idea containing multiple components such as goals, content, pedagogy, or instructional practices. Curriculum is influenced by many factors including society’s values, content standards, account ability systems, research findings, community expectations, culture and language, and individual children’s characteristics. † The early childhood (preschool) classroom has a need for a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Designing a curriculum gives teachers the opportunity to come together and brainstorm on what is needed to meet the needs of individual children. Dodge states, â€Å"When teachers build curriculum with each other and with the children and are willing to really listen to each other and to the children’s ideas, and really value them, there is a very different kind of relationship being established and a climate of mutual trust is formed. She also shares that, the nature of this relationship between teachers and children and parents would be very different in our opinion, if the teacher’s plan were already written and all the planning spaces filled in, and all the outcomes predetermined and articulated ahead of time. Relationships again are the foundation that is needed in the early childhood classroom. Society has put a lot of pressure on early childhood programs to produce results. Kostelnik states that, kindergarten teachers report that one out of three children begin formal schooling lacking the basic experiences they need to succeed. Because of this, programs make decisions each day about the type of curriculum to use. They see the importance of early learning experiences that will build a firm foundation for learning and development later on in life. There are many types of curriculum in our society today. The two most commonly used in the Unites States according to Dodge are: The Creative Curriculum and High/Scope. In addition to these many directors used a variety of models and resources to supplement their planning. These include the Project Approach, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and what several called â€Å"emergent curriculum†. There is evidence that high quality early childhood programs can and do make a difference in children’s development. Children can develop the skills they need as they participate in child care and other early learning programs from birth to age eight. Kostelnik states that children need to know the fundamental components of early literacy and numeracy for literacy involves listening, viewing, speaking, writing, and reading. Some of the numeracy components are: understanding number, how people represent number, the relations among numbers, and number systems, using mathematical tools, and recognizing, describing, and extending patterns. Literacy and numeracy can be displayed in the classroom when the dramatic play area has been transformed into a hairdressing shop. The children can create signs that say haircuts, shampoo, curlers, and perms. The children can also include prices on the signs. The children can move in and out of this area taking turns as customers, receptionist, haircutters, and cashiers. They will pretend cutting hair, giving permanents, making appointments, writing out receipts, using the play cash register, and making change. Literacy and numeracy is also seen in the block center as children make signs and count trucks, in the writing center as children write in their journals and in the art center as children draw and create pictures of their choice. Kostelnik tells us that, skilled teachers intentionally create opportunities for children to become engaged in varied literacy and numeracy experiences every day. Developmentally appropriate activities do not happen by chance, they have to be planned out. Children are looking for direction and opportunities to investigate. Teachers are being provided with training and professional development on how to teach, what to teach and why they need to follow a curriculum. As teachers gain the skills they need they begin to understand the developmental need s of children. They create opportunities for learning through play and they advocate for the needed changes in the system. As curriculum choices are being made and teachers are trained in how to implement the curriculum children are excelling. In an early childhood classroom teachers are better equipped and have a greater impact on what, why and how to teach children in a developmentally appropriate way. References: Eliason, C. F. , Jenkins, L. (2008). A Practical Guide to Early Childhood Curriculum (8th ed. ). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Dodge, D. (2004). Early Childhood Curriculum Models Why, What and the How Programs Use Them. Retrieved from the Exchange magazine. www. ChildCareExchange. com Kostelnik. M (2008). Academics in Early Childhood. Retrieved from the Exchange magazine. www. ChildCareExchange. com. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE). (2003). Joint position statement on early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Washington, DC: NAEYC, p. 6 Vanderwater, E. A. , Rideoout, V. J. , Wartella, E. A. , Huang, X. , Lee, J. H. , Shim, M. S. (2007). â€Å"Digital Childhood: Electronic Media and Technology Use Among Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers. † Pediatrics 119(5): e1006-e1015 [pic].

Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell Essay -- Four Pillars Zee Edgell Essays Papers

Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell The four pillars of life include staying connected, motion, nutrition and reduction of stress. In the novel, Beka Lamb, by Zee Edgell, these pillars are examined. A novel about the upbringing and changes a young girl goes through. She makes some mistakes throughout her life but she soon realizes that she needs to alter her ways. With the help of a close friend, considered to be like a sister, she is able to look at life differently. Their friendship helps them to transform.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beka is a young teenager, going through a tough time in her life. Her parents had enrolled her in a Catholic school in order to give her a best education. They want her to strive to be the best that she can. While at school, Beka became lazy and ended up failing her first year at the school. Aside from being a poor student, Beka is also a liar. Rather than telling her parents the truth, she lies and as a result, takes a beating from her father. Her best friend, Toycie, tries to guide Beka onto the right path.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toycie is a few years older than her friend. She is now in fourth form at the Catholic school. As a child, she was abandoned by her parents and left to be cared for by her Aunt Eila. Characterized by her Aunt as a Queen, Toycie is almost the complete opposite of Beka. She is beautiful and studious. The quality that links them together is their ability to find themselves in bad situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their friendship had developed at a young age and has grown into a sisterhood. As a job, Toycie took care of Beka and her brothers. From there, the two shared many secrets. Being each others’ confidant, they spent a lot of time together. They would go on walks and share their thoughts or ambitions with one another. They also had a system of checks and balances. When Beka was in trouble at school, Toycie offered to help her with her studies. She also urged Beka to be truthful with her parents. In return, Beka tried to persuade Toycie to find help when she became pregnant. Beka was also there for her when her boyfriend refused to accept the baby as his own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Toycie’s hardest times, Beka was always around, trying to help. Because of their strong friendship, Beka wanted to be her shoulder to lean on. In the first few months of her pregnancy, Toycie became very nauseous. While at school, she was vomiting everywhere and Beka would run to h... ...aditions of its mother country. Tea time offered a time for people to connect with others. It was a time where families could get together and bond. As mentioned before, women of the house joined together in the kitchen when preparing the snack. Motion plays it part when the family is together and talking. Their minds are consistently moving as they discuss their thoughts. Also, Beka and Toycie usually took their long walks after tea. Obviously, the pillar of nutrition was fulfilled when the family has tea and treats. Lastly, the family was able to relax when sitting down for tea. They were able to take some time out of their day to unwind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beka Lamb is a good example for the four pillars of life. The different aspects are displayed in Beka’s actions and beliefs. She is full of life and without these pillars she would not be able to get as far as she has. Still in her first form, Beka still has a lot to learn about herself and others. Everything happens for a reason and Beka has learned that her actions do have consequences. Although all consequences may not be good ones, she still has the basic foundations in life which are found in herself, her family and her friends.

“Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl Essay

â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† by Roald   is a fun story that uses irony and perspective to create a truly enjoyable story. Still, to get the greatest value out of this story, it is worthwhile to understand not only what happens in the story but why it happens. From the way the situations of the characters change them to the decisions they make, everything in this story must work together to create a masterpiece. What Point of View Is â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† Told From and Why Is That Important? â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is told from the point of view of Mary Maloney. This choice to tell the story from the point of view of the murderer is an interesting choice and one that largely defines this story. The reader knows only what she knows. At times, such as the end of the story, this means that the reader knows more than the other characters, especially in relation to the leg of lamb. On the other hand, the reader is not given access to the reasoning behind Patrick’s decision to leave. This makes it far easier for the reader to be on Mary’s side when she makes questionable decisions. Free Teacher Worksheets www.TESIndia.com Thousands of free class activities, lesson plans & worksheets. Ads by Google What Influence Does Mary’s Pregnancy Have on the Story? Early in the story, the reader discovers that Mary Maloney is pregnant. This understanding is important to the story on a number of levels. The most basic is that it helps the reader to understand just what it is that her husband is doing by leaving her. This makes the story more ambiguous in morality by making the reader associate with the woman more. In addition, it almost certainly helps keep her from being suspected. The motherly instinct of protection is invoked by this understanding as anyone can understand the  instinct of a mother protecting her child and the fear of execution is vital to making Mary a more positive character. Why Are the Exact Words Patrick Says When Leaving Mary Left Out? In the middle of the conversation between Patrick and Mary, the narration changes for a single paragraph at the very climax of the conversation. Patrick leads into the conversation with the hope she won’t blame him too much. It then says that he told her, though not exactly what, and ends with him saying that he will take care of her. This change in narration is disconcerting and in large part that is the point. This helps the reader to understand the disorientation and detachment of Mary. In addition to this, by not telling the reader exactly what happened, it gives far more power to the reader in the interpretation of her later actions. By not knowing exactly what he said, it lets the reader decide if Mary’s actions in the rest of the story are justified or not. Why Is Patrick’s Profession Important? Patrick is a police detective. This bit of information is vital to the story in a number of ways. As a story in which the reader is supposed to empathize with the murderer, having the victim be a vital and trusted member of society creates even more conflict in the mind. In addition to this, it plays with two basic ideas, that the police will look for a killer more vigorously if an officer is killed, but also that she knows the officers who will investigate the crime. This means that they are more likely to be comfortable with her. Also important is the understanding that Mary is likely to have an escape of being arrested for the crime. As the wife of a police detective, she has almost certainly heard many stories about crimes that he has solved and how he has done it. Finally, this creates many other suspects that could have committed the crime because as a police detective he has many enemies. What Is the Dramatic Irony in â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter†? There are a couple of moments of dramatic irony in â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter.† These are cases in which the reader understands more than the characters.  The most clear of these occurs near the end of the story. Mary has called the police and the detectives are in her house. As they are eating the lamb of leg, one of the officers says in relation to the murder weapon that it is â€Å"probably right under our very noses.† This statement is literally true though the officer who says it has no idea what he is saying. What Is the Origin and Meaning of the Title â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter†? The original use of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is found in the Bible. This phrase is located in both Jeremiah and Isaiah. It refers to someone who goes innocently and unconcernedly into a dangerous or life threatening situation. In the story â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter,† it has a number of meanings though. The first clear meaning is one that is a form of dark humor. The lamb in this case is actually a murder weapon. This twists the meaning of lamb to the slaughter into something that is not a metaphor but what actually happens. While the first meaning is clear, the metaphorical use of the statement is still valid and in fact there are two people who go into a situation like lambs to the slaughter. The first of these is the murder victim who, while knowing he is going to do something uncomfortable, has no idea what is going to happen to him. The second though is Mary herself. It is the shock because she doesn’t know what is coming and that shock is what drives her over the edge. Why Does Mary Insist the Police Eat the Leg of Lamb? Leg of Lamb In the story, Mary asks the detectives to eat the leg of lamb she had made for her husband, and even when they turn it down, she insists that they eat this. This insistence is important beyond simply the idea that it is the murder weapon. By having the detectives eat the lamb, they have destroyed the evidence which will make them look stupid even if they later understand. This will discourage them from thinking of it as a weapon. In addition, because she ensures they have seen the murder weapon rather than hiding it, she defies the expectations as most criminals hide the weapon. â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter†: Conflict, Rising Action, Falling Action, Climax and Resolution written by: Elton Gahr †¢ edited by: Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch †¢ updated: 3/2/2012 By understanding how Roald Dahl is able to build the tension and conflict in â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† and how the tension falls afterward is a great way for anyone to understand how to tell a better story or simply recognize the qualities of a good story. Roald Dahl The best stories are often those in which we miss most of what the author is doing. A good author is not only able to use the tricks and tools of language to tell a good story but able to hide those tools so that they don’t distract the reader. Yet in stories like â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter,† there is a great deal of value in looking at and understanding what they have done. That is why the examination of the structure of a story is so useful. Understanding the rising and falling action of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† can help writers to tell a better story and readers to understand and enjoy the skill of the author just as someone might enjoy the brush strokes of a master painter. Climax In order to understand what happens after the climax, one must first be able to pinpoint the point of maximum tension in the story. In the case of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter,† there are in some ways two climaxes. The first of these is at the point in which Mary attacks her husband and kills him. This is the culmination of everything that has happened to this point in the story. The story then pulls back and allows the action to fall. The second and main climax of the story occurs when the detective notices that the oven is still on with the leg of lamb cooking. This is the point at which the detectives are closest to discovering the murder weapon and Mary has to keep from being caught. The conflict then begins to rise again as she creates an alibi and brings in the police to catch the murderer. Conflict Just as there are two climax in the story, there are two major conflicts in this story. The first of these conflicts is between Mary and Patrick as Patrick tells his pregnant wife that he is going to leave her. This conflict ends as Mary hits her husband with a frozen leg of lamb and leads into the main conflict of the story. This second conflict is in Mary’s attempt to avoid being caught. She knows that if she is caught she will be executed and fears that her unborn child will be killed as well. This becomes the main conflict of the story and leads to the ultimate resolution of the story in which the detectives eat the evidence of her crime. Rising and Falling Action of the First Climax The action of the story begins to rise as Mary waits for her husband to return in anticipation and continues to increase as it becomes clear that he is preparing to tell her something. It reaches its climax as he explains that he knows that it is a bad time and as he turns his back Mary hits him with the leg of lamb. The falling action for the first of these climaxes is interesting because it has to set up the action for the second half of the story while releasing some of the tension of the first half so that it can be rebuilt. The line which carries the load of this work reads â€Å"All right, she told herself. So I’ve killed him.† This line pulls back the emotions not only of Mary who is telling the story, but also the reader. It is a well created note to the reader that the story is now going to slow down and change. The next paragraph continues this as the woman, who was moments ago out of control, begins to think through the possibilities. She knows that the penalty for murder is execution, but fears for her unborn child and decides that she must protect that child. This then leads into the action beginning to rise again as she focuses on avoiding being captured. Rising and Falling Action of the Second Climax The second climax of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is the true climax of the entire story. With action that continues to rise as Mary tries to cover up her crime from seconds after she commits it until the moment the detective sees that the oven is still on, the tension spikes. At this moment, Mary is very close to being caught. Yet she is able to think clearly and doesn’t react out of fear. The character herself creates the falling action as she offers the officers something to drink and asks them to help her get rid of the meal that she had been cooking for her husband. This leads not only into the irony of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† as the officers eat the evidence that would have likely put Mary into the electric chair, but also the falling action. The officers have clearly decided that she is the victim of the crime and not the perpetrator as they try to console her. The last of the action disappears as the police officer, while eating the leg of lamb says of the murder weapon, â€Å"Probably right under our very noses,† a literal truth that makes it entirely clear that the police have no idea what happened and are unlikely to discover the truth. In the other room, the last line of the story shows Mary free of tension as she begins to giggle. Resolution Leg of Lamb The resolution of â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is largely implied by the final line. The assumption of the author and reader is that with the murder weapon gone, Mary will not be captured for the crime. Yet none of this is actually said in the story. The story simple ends with the police commenting on the lack of murder weapon and Mary giggling presumably at the irony of them looking for the weapon while eating it. â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† is an excellent example of a story that is able to create and release action expertly. It builds up slowly, adding tension on top of tension, until it reaches a crescendo and then releases that, creating a powerful story in the process. Understanding where and how that the author has created that rising and falling action can help to create a greater appreciation for this story and the masterful brush strokes of a  master artist as he created the story. Symbolism: The symbolism Dahl uses to etch the theme of the story begins most obviously with the title of the short story itself, â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† and the instrument used by Mary Maloney to kill her husband. Lambs have been used for thousands of years as a symbol of innocence, meekness, and purity. The phrase â€Å"like a lamb to a slaughter† represents something innocent happily making its way towards a negative situation in which it will most likely get hurt. Looking at the story, this phrase could be relevant to either character. Mary Maloney could represent the lamb in the sense that even after her husband told her some seemingly terrible news, she continued on being a gentle and caring wife by trying to make dinner for him as though nothing is wrong. She has apparently been completely blind to these events and has been being led around to this ultimate severance of her marriage like a small fluffy animal to be killed and served with mint jelly. Having the murder weapon just so happen to be a leg of lamb, it is also a symbol of the lamb retaliating against the force attempting to take its innocent and light. Patrick Maloney, however, could also be recognized as being unaware, if not innocent, to a demise. After telling his devoted wife the bad news, he continues on. While he does fight her making him dinner with anger, he is still continuing to stay and talk with her while she essentially goes into a frenzy about her beloved husband. His murder was as easy as that of a lambs, he was completely unaware her retaliation would be fatal. Dahl’s symbolism is interesting and clear and weaves a great layer into the story.

Nina Simone Life and Music of the Priestess of Soul

Legendary jazz pianist and singer Nina Simone composed over 500 songs, recorded almost 60 albums. She was the first woman to win the Jazz Cultural Award and contributed through her music and activism to the Black Freedom Struggle of the 1960s.  Ã‚  She lived from  February 21, 1933 to April 21, 2003.  Ã‚   Her birth year is given variously as 1933, 1935 and 1938. 1933 seems most credible, as she was a high school senior in 1950-51 when she attended Juilliard. Also known as: Priestess of Soul; birth name: Eunice Kathleen Waymon, Eunice Wayman In 1993, Don Shewey wrote of Nina Simone in the Village Voice, Shes not a pop singer, shes a diva, a hopeless eccentric ... who has so thoroughly co-mingled her odd talent and brooding temperament that she has turned herself into a force of nature, an exotic creature spied so infrequently that every appearance is legendary. Early Life and Education Nina Simone was born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933(*) in Tryon, North Carolina, daughter of John D. Waylon and Mary Kate Waymon, an ordained Methodist minister. The house was filled with music, Nina Simone later recalled, and she learned to play piano early, playing at church when she was only six.  Ã‚  Her mother discouraged her from playing music that wasnt religious.  When her mother took a job as a maid for extra money, the woman she worked for  saw that young Eunice had special musical talent and sponsored a year of classical piano lessons for her. She studied with a Mrs. Miller and then with Muriel Mazzanovitch.  Mazzanovich helped raise money for more lessons. After graduating from the Allen High School for Girls in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1950 (she was valedictorian), Nina Simone attended Juilliard School of Music, as part of her plan to prepare to attend the Curtis Institute of Music. She took the entrance exam for the Curtis Institutes classical piano program, but was not accepted. Nina Simone believed that she was good enough for the program, but that she was rejected because she was black. She studied privately with Vladimir Sokoloff, an instructor at the Curtis Institute. Music Career Her family by that time had moved to Philadelphia, and she began to give piano lessons. When she discovered that one of her students was playing in a bar in Atlantic City—and being paid more than she was from her piano teaching—she decided to try this route herself. Armed with music from many genres —classical, jazz, popular—she began playing piano in 1954 at the Midtown Bar and Grill in Atlantic City. She adopted the name of Nina Simone to avoid her mothers religious disapproval of playing in a bar. The bar owner demanded that she add vocals to her piano playing, and Nina Simone began to draw large audiences of younger people who were fascinated by her eclectic musical repertoire and style. Soon she was playing in better nightclubs, and moved into the Greenwich Village scene. By 1957, Nina Simone had found an agent, and the next year issued her first album, Little Girl Blue. Her first single, I Loves You Porgy, was a George Gershwin song from Porgy and Bess that had been a popular number for Billie Holiday. It sold well, and her recording career was launched. Unfortunately, the contract she signed gave away her rights, a mistake she came to bitterly regret. For her next album she signed with Colpix and released The Amazing Nina Simone. With this album came more critical interest. Husband and Daughter Nina Simone briefly married Don Ross in 1958, and divorced him the next year. She married Andy Stroud in 1960 —a former police detective who became her recording agent—and they had a daughter, Lisa Celeste, in 1961. This daughter, separated from her mother for long periods in her childhood, eventually launched her own career with the stage name of, simply, Simone. Nina Simone and Andy Stroud drifted apart with her career and political interests, and their marriage ended in divorce in 1970. Involvement with Civil Rights Movement In the 1960s, Nina Simone was part of the civil rights movement and later the black power movement. Her songs are considered by some as anthems of those movements, and their evolution shows the growing hopelessness that American racial problems would be solved. Nina Simone wrote Mississippi Goddam after the bombing of a Baptist church in Alabama killed four children and after Medgar Evers was assassinated in Mississipppi. This song, often sung in civil rights contexts, was not often played on radio. She introduced this song in performances as a show tune for a show that hadnt yet been written. Other Nina Simone songs adopted by the civil rights movement as anthems included Backlash Blues, Old Jim Crow, Four Women and To Be Young, Gifted and Black. The latter was composed in honor of her friend Lorraine Hansberry, godmother to Ninas daughter, and became an anthem for the growing black power movement with its line, Say it clear, say it loud, I am black and I am proud! With the growing womens movement, Four Women and her cover of Sinatras My Way became feminist anthems as well. But just a few years later, Nina Simones friends Lorraine Hansberry and Langston Hughes were dead. Black heroes Martin Luther King, jr., and Malcolm X, were assassinated. In the late 1970s, a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service found Nina Simone accused of tax evasion; she lost her home to the IRS. Moving Nina Simones growing bitterness over Americas racism, her disputes with the record companies she called pirates, her troubles with the IRS all led to her decision to leave the United States. She first moved to Barbados, and then, with the encouragement of Miriam Makeba and others, moved to Liberia. A later move to Switzerland for the sake of her daughters education was followed by a comeback attempt in London which failed when she put her faith in a sponsor who turned out to be a con man who robbed and beat her and abandoned her. She tried to commit suicide, but when that failed, found her faith in the future renewed. She built her career slowly, moving to Paris in 1978, having small successes. In 1985, Nina Simone returned to the United States to record and perform, choosing to pursue fame in her native land. She focused on what would be popular, de-emphasizing her political views, and won growing acclaim. Her career soared when a British commercial for Chanel used her 1958 recording of My Baby Just Cares for Me, which then became a hit in Europe. Nina Simone moved back to Europe—first to the Netherlands then to the South of France in 1991. She published her biography, I Put a Spell on You, and continued to record and perform. Later Career and Life There were several run-ins with the law in the 90s in France, as Nina Simone shot a rifle at rowdy neighbors and left the scene of an accident in which two motorcyclists were injured. She paid fines and was put on probation, and was required to seek psychological counseling. In 1995, she won ownership of 52 of her master recordings in a San Francisco court, and in 94-95 she had what she described as a very intense love affair—it was like a volcano. In her last years, Nina Simone was sometimes seen in a wheelchair between performances. She died April 21, 2003, in her adopted homeland, France. In a 1969 interview with Phyl Garland, Nina Simone said: Theres no other purpose, so far as Im concerned, for us except to reflect the times, the situations around us and the things were able to say through our art, the things that millions of people cant say. I think thats the function of an artist and, of course, those of us who are lucky leave a legacy so that when were dead, we also live on. Thats people like Billie Holiday and I hope that I will be that lucky, but meanwhile, the function, so far as Im concerned, is to reflect the times, whatever that might be. Jazz Nina Simone is often classified as a jazz singer, but this is what she had to say in 1997 (in an interview with Brantley Bardin): To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt and thats not what I play. I play black classical music. Thats why I dont like the term jazz, and Duke Ellington didnt like it either—its a term thats simply used to identify black people. Selected Quotations Jazz is not just music, its a way of life, its a way of being, a way of thinking.I tell you what freedom is to me: no fear.What kept me sane was knowing that things would change, and it was a question of keeping myself together until they did.Talent is a burden not a joy. I am not of this planet. I do not come from you. I am not like you.Music is an art and art has its own rules. And one of them is that you must pay more attention to it than anything else in the world, if you are going to be true to yourself. And if you dont do it—and you are an artist—it punishes you.Theres no excuse for the young people not knowing who the heroes and heroines are or were.Slavery has never been abolished from Americas way of thinking. Discography Nuff SaidAint Got No - I Got LifeAmazing Nina SimoneAnd Piano!At Carnegie HallAt NewportAt The Village GateAt Town HallBaltimoreBest of the Colpix YearsBlack GoldBlack SoulBroadway-Blues-BalladsEclectic CollectionFodder on My WingsFolksy NinaForbidden FruitGifted BlackHeart SoulHere Comes the SunHigh Priestess of SoulI Put a Spell on YouIn Concert I Put A Spell On YouIt Is FinishedJazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street ClubLet It All OutLet It Be MeLiveLive Kickin - In Europe and the CaribbeanLive at Ronnie ScottsLive in EuropeLive in ParisMy Baby Just Cares for MeNe Me Quitte PasNinas BackNinas ChoiceNina Simone and Her FriendsNina Simone and PianoNina Simone at Carnegie HallNina Simone at NewportNina Simone at the Village GateNina Simone at Town HallPastel BluesRising Sun CollectionSilk SoulSingle WomanSings EllingtonSings the BluesTo Love SomebodyA Very Rare Evening with Nina SimoneWild Is The WindWith Strings Print Bibliography Nina Simone with Stephen Cleary. I Put a Spell on You.Richard Williams. Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood. More About Nina Simone Categories: jazz, blues, soul music, classical music, African American musician, protest singer, civil rights, black powerPlaces: United States, France, Liberia, North Carolina, Atlantic City, Greenwich Village, New YorkPeriod: 20th century century