In this article, the author describes a classroom lesson relating to still life and the artist, Ralph Goings. While students painted, they discussed about how Ralph Goings shows that everyday, household items can be visually appealing. To give everyday objects a new, unintended purpose is a powerful way to rediscover the world. In younger…

RAuthor Rebecca Olness combines her love of children's literature and her experience as a classroom teacher and literacy specialist to show teachers that it is possible to teach both content and literacy concepts simultaneously. Chapters cover social studies, science, mathematics, and the arts. In these pages readers will find rationale and…

Teaching young children ways to appreciate art is not the daunting task that it appears to be. At a very young age, children are quite capable of having an aesthetic experience on their own terms, whether it be the delight of mixing different textured foods on the high chair table top or becoming visually engaged with a mobile that is suspended…

This article explores the graphic development of a five-year-old girl with autism during Saturday morning art classes. It attempts to uncover what particular methods of consideration are useful in the examination of the art of such a child. Drawing systems and early mathematics are found to be of value in discussing Sung's art making since both…

Art and literacy experiences can be integrated into the classroom to great effect, and in this book, the author demonstrates that. Interpreting and creating pictorial representations is an important step on the road to literacy, as is experimenting with combinations of symbols and text. When teachers value and support children's symbolic…

In this article, the author discusses how parents can be involved in a developmentally appropriate art program for very young children. "Art Playgroup," a program for children ages two to five and their parents is one suggestion. Operating under the auspices of DTA Center for Learning & Growing, a nonprofit in Ellsworth, Maine, DTA…

Painting in early childhood classrooms should have its own values and purposes enriching young children's aesthetic intelligence rather than being considered as mere supplements to other art activities. The three approaches to painting in early childhood settings--Bank Street, Reggio, and Waldorf--consider painting as the core of integrated…

This study describes the results of an empirical research project concerning the artistic abilities of children aged 4, 5 and 6 years and their development, when these children make drawings within a "guided" teaching intervention. This research is based on an operational use of Luquet's ideas, which have been used, not only as a…

Genuine artistic activity in any medium provides a lens through which to examine the world as well as to express a reaction to it. Opening a wide variety of subjects to artistic explorations also opens the door of learning, specially to students with varied levels of ability. It was with these thoughts in mind that the two authors met to revise a…

China's education system has grown increasingly complex, creating the need for an annual critical review of the education system by China's top scholars. The "Blue Book of Education," as it is known in Chinese, has gained a reputation for offering the most penetrating perspective in China on educational reform and development. In this…

In this article, the author relates how she uses an art lesson that integrates art, language arts, and science in an enjoyable, creative project about dinosaurs in her kindergarten class. She relates how the children enjoy being illustrators and becoming familiar with well-known children's illustrators. She also relates that she starts her classes…

Reflective and collaborative learning can help teachers to better understand their students. Preservice teachers are busy managing initial experiences and often do not have the time nor the depth of experience from which to reflect more on the art of teaching. The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, provides such an opportunity for early…

This resource provides information to assist parents, family members, early childhood teachers, caregivers, and other adults in promoting the learning and development of young children ages birth to three. It is a companion to the Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines for Ages 3 to 5, and uses the same format and domains of development. This…

This paper reports on the work in progress undertaken with young children, artists and early childhood education students in an innovative arts education partnership between Windmill Performing Arts, the national performing arts company for children and families, and the University of South Australia. The paper explains how the project was…

This study explores pre-primary children's responses to contemporary art exhibits in a museum setting, the role of previous artistic experiences, and the impact of the art museum visit on children's responses to artworks and making art during classroom practice. The sample included 32 children (16 boys and 16 girls) randomly selected from two…