A study investigated why children's drawing becomes less flexible and less exploratory as the children age. Subjects, 92 students in two kindergarten and two first grade classrooms in two different public schools in Queens, New York, were interviewed about their feelings concerning drawing and writing. Each classroom was visited for 1 week each.…

Based on a longitudinal study of three children from birth, argues that children experiment with two dimensional representation much earlier than is commonly thought. Interaction between figurative and action modes of representation is described. Suggests symbolizations based on movement and time as well as configuration. (Author/AS)

Kellogg and O'Dell's criteria for designating children's art as pictures and Pitcher and Prelinger's collection of stories from children were examined for analogous patterns of structure. Results indicated that form, derived from a structure of repetition, is embodied by children as a metaphor for pictures or stories. (Author/SR)

Three media used in a longitudinal, cross-sectional investigation to determine the rate of artistic development in young children were clay modeling, drawing, and storytelling. The most significant result of the study reveals that artistic competence does not proceed upward across all media as the child matures. (JN)

In a theoretical and philosophical discussion, the author examines the results of two drawing exercises he used with elementary students. Exercise One, "blind contour" drawing from life, was based on child-centered art learning theory. Exercise Two, copying an artwork, emphasized the learning of graphic conventions and cultural forms. (SJL)

In order to examine the role of aesthetic knowledge in the early socialization of children into art, the authors observed two preschool classrooms for evidence of teacher- and child-initiated aesthetic experiences. This article describes the study's background, reference model, methodological approach, and findings. (Author/SJL)

Reports three experiments which investigate: whether familiar objects have standard graphic orientations (Experiment 1); the relationship between use of object orientations and more conventional methods in depicting familiar objects in motion (Experiment 2); and whether orientations are used differently in novel objects whose only defining feature…

Examined drawings and transcripts of accompanying narratives made by 3- to 7-year-old children in a preschool setting. Analyzed the symbolism of the pictures and the children's stories about them that formed a background or explanation of each picture, noting developmental differences between the age groups. (JPB)

Assigned drawings of 217 children (ages 4, 6, 8, and 10) were evaluated for both developmental and ability-related differences. Age-related trends were found in the ability to render perspective with talented children making flexible and elaborate use of perspectival abilities. Artistic abilities other than perspective appeared to be less…

In an exchange program, 11- and 12-year olds from Arles (France) (n=25) and Sparta (Greece) (n=27) visited each other's cities and explored the culture and history. This study explores the ways they conceptualized the cultural patrimony of both cities through student drawings. The exchange created opportunities for dialog about European culture.…

Describes a project designed to enhance the development of preschool children's aesthetic awareness. Explores how the project presented strategies and materials that can be readily incorporated into the curriculum for any group of young children. Strategies included focusing children's observations; making art happen; and expanding artistic…

In the theoretical part of this paper, the author gives answers to the question of whether a real attachment relationship can exist between a child and a non-maternal caretaker. She introduces diagnostic meaning of children's drawings. The purpose of the study was to investigate how children's social behavior and their attachment to the…

We investigated the nature of graphic formulas in 5-, 7-, and 9-year-old children when they were asked to draw a house and a television in a free condition, and then to draw from photographs of these objects. Assuming that the frequency of occurrence of a feature in children's drawings reflects its semantic weight, we studied the relations between…

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how children's responses to literature can help develop literacy. The subjects were 15 first-grade students at Overstreet Elementary School in Starkville (Mississippi). Two school observations were carried out prior to the collection of data on individual students. Case studies were conducted…

This study investigated the use of the developmental level of kindergarten children's art work as a predictor of readiness for first grade. The sample consisted of 55 children (33 girls and 22 boys) in three kindergarten classes. All were over 5 years of age and had not attended kindergarten before. The kindergarten screening measure used a…