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)

Considers the wide social implications of children's unsolicited drawings of violence, stating that these drawings and children's attitudes toward them are indicative of a central social contradiction; a society that is violent but champions peace. Discusses avenues for action by art educators to help children's development. (Author/LS)

Investigates the uniqueness and distinguishability of individual drawing styles among school-age children to determine whether they have individual artistic styles that go unnoticed. Some support for individual graphic artistic style was provided. Aspects of stylistic distinction are discussed, and recommendations for classroom drawing instruction…

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…

Author raises the question of using white or cream colored paper in research with black children who are asked to draw a person. (MB)

Explores the reasons art teaching practices developed by Pestalozzi and Froebel in the 1800's continue to influence contemporary schools, especially at the kindergarten and primary grades. Argues that 19th century school art coexists in contemporary North American elementary schools with school art forms originated by Cizek because each represents…

Describes the drawings of an autistic 8-year-old boy and investigates the role of art in his life considering art's relationship, by style and content, to his emotional and daily experiences. Indicates his four distinct drawing styles along with what these styles suggest about art's narrative qualities and its meaning-making possibilities. (CMK)

Reports the results of a two-year case study of 144 third and fourth graders' art materials preferences. Results indicate that the students preferred different media for different reasons, with favorites being clay, craypas, felt-tipped pens, and cardboard or wood. Maintains that art educators should take into account students' perceptions about…

Approximately 524 children, grades K-5, were asked to draw a plain or designed cube. At all grade levels, the plain cube was represented as a square with far greater frequency than was the designed cube. Perspective drawings, attempted and achieved, were more frequent for the plain cube. (Author/RM)

This article reviews the major principles of Piaget's stage theory of cognitive development (equilibrium, structure, and scheme); outlines his two stages that best characterize elementary children (preoperational thought and concrete operations); and describes features of the child's artistic growth during these two stages. Questions needing…

This study examined the relationship between the visual elaboration characteristic of paired-associate learning and figural elaboration as found in the graphic representations of preadolescents (ages 8-12) and as measured by nonverbal creativity measures. Significant correlations between figural variables and one or both visual variables were…

Examines the case of Nadia, an autistic child with unusual graphic ability. Considers the development of her skill in relation to hypotheses about drawing, intelligence, and conceptual thought. Illustrations are included. Commentaries on this article by Charles Cleland and Martin Rayala appear on pages 68-72 of this issue. (SJL)

Describes developments in strategies used by preschool and third grade children when drawing a three-dimensional model from observation. Concludes that children are able to devise unique responses to solving the problem of representation and that stage theory may be inadequate in explaining their performances. (Author/BSR)

Compares R. Kellogg's (1969) intuitive predictions about teachers' preference in children's drawings of animals and humans with actual judgments made by teachers of those drawings. Also investigates possible effects of grade-level and cultural differences on such evaluations by utilizing U.S. sixth grade and first grade teachers, and Nepalese…