When this author first published his account of "The Superheroes of J. C. Holz" (Wilson, 1974), he could not have imagined that the comics of one Iowa boy would shape his thinking about children's images, the purposes of art and art education, narrative, popular visual culture, and his present theorizing about pedagogy. He states that…

Describes ways that aesthetic theories can be integrated into children's art education. The author illustrates elements of E.H. Gombrich's theory of aesthetic perception using as examples art activities designed to increase student awareness of their "mental sets" and their understanding of how mental sets influence visual perception. (AM)

The president of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Ernest L. Boyer, discusses the importance of developing creativity in the classroom. (MD)

There are different types of copying, some involving artistic behaviors and some not. It is important to differentiate these types, separating the replication of conventions from more inventive artistic behaviors. A framework for such examination is applied in a group of pilot studies involving children copying comic strips. (Author/RM)

In this article, the author discusses the importance of Viktor Lowenfeld's influence on her research, describes visual anthropology, gives examples of her research, and examines the implications of this type of research for teachers. The author regards Lowenfeld's (1952/1939) early work with children in Austria as a form of participant observation…

Explores problems in the relationship between professional arts and art education. Identifies three negative practices used in schools: (1) the oversimplification of art to children, (2) an over-reliance on language to explain art, (3) the fear of allowing mistakes to occur in children's art. (BSR)

Little League and art education are trying to justify themselves by forcing precocity on children. Children are entitled to learn in their own most effective ways. (RM)

There are five categories of titles of paintings: descriptive, narrative, directive, poetic, and arbitrary. When children title their work they give clues to its intent and challenge the presuppositions that adults may bring to children's art. Titling can expand students' ideas for painting and provide a greater variety of approaches. (CS)

Responds to Wilson and Wilson's critique (Sept 1981) of the use of the developmental approach to the study of children's art. Lewis argues that the developmental approach is appropriate for age-related studies and it should not be abandoned as a method because researchers are working on projects where its use is applicable. (AM)

This paper deals with the main theses of Gombrich's theory of pictorial representation as they pertain to the understanding of representational artworks and children's drawing. It is argued that the current linguistic-cognitive model of representation adopted from Goodman's theory provides an understanding of images and children's drawing in art…

Mao's dictum on the nature and use of art is followed closely in the area of children's art education. (MM)

Describes the development of children's artistic expression from age four through adolescence. Explores the visual-haptic theory, baseline theory, the inside-out expression, the fold-over picture, the upside-down depiction, and the front view-top view display. (RJC)

This paper presents findings from a longitudinal, participant-observation study of one boy's spontaneous drawings from preadolescence to adolescence. Themes related to adolescent developmental psychology emerge in the drawings. Concludes that doodling and memory drawing permit imaginative play and free ideation while drawing from pictures…

Reviews Ralph Smith's article "The Question of Elitism." Questions Smith's criteria for excellence and his assertion that art must be judged by a single, absolute scale. Argues that populism is pervasive in all aspects of American life and that elitism is deadening to culture. (BSR)

Noting that the preschool years provide an optimal time for developing fundamental skills with lifelong implications, this paper examines the role of art in early childhood education, arguing that art improves the quality of life for young children. The paper maintains that art is the basis of early learning and that allowing children to…