Roma Gans

Background

Roma Gans was born on February 22, 1894 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States.

Education

Roma graduated from Columbia University and in 1929 joined the faculty at Teachers College, from which she received a Ph.D. in 1940.

Career

Roma began her educational career in 1917 as a mathematics teacher in Minnesota. In 1925 she became the assistant superintendent of schools in Superior, Wisconsin, a post she held until 1929. In that year she accepted an assistant professorship at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York. While in New York, Gans wrote several books in the field of education, including "Guiding Children’s Reading through Experiences: Practical Suggestions for Teaching", which was published in 1941. She retired from Columbia in 1959, and devoted her time to writing books for children. Gans aimed her books at the youngest readers, explaining matters that might fascinate kindergartners. The titles ranged from icebergs and dinosaurs to hummingbirds, crystals and rock collecting, including ''When Birds Change Their Feathers'' (1980) and ''How Do Birds Find Their Way". She died on Oct. 4 at the Springside Nursing Home in Pittsfield, Mass. She was 102.

Achievements

• Gans received many honors for her prolific writing. Among them was the Delta Kappa Gamma Society’s Educator Award.

Works

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  • Let's Go Rock Collecting (Let'S-Read-And-Find-Out Science. Stage 2)
  • How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
  • Bird Talk (Let'S-Read-And-Find-Out-Science Books)
  • Caves (Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science Book)
  • When Birds Change Their Feathers (Let's Read-&-find-out)
  • Rock Collecting (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Book)
  • Oil, the Buried Treasure by Roma Gans (1975-06-05)
  • Danger-- Icebergs! by Roma Gans (1987-01-05)
  • Millions and Millions of Crystals (Let's -Read-And-Find-Out Science Books)

Membership

She was a past chairman of the Citizens Committee for Children of New York City, an organization of professional and lay experts active in child welfare work.