Drawing helps children organize their ideas for expression in story writing in several ways. Drawing promotes the first writing, and this writing becomes the first reading material that children themselves author. Children draw pictures and write to organize ideas and construct meaning from their experiences. Open-ended opportunities to write and…

Appreciating children's art involves considering all work as an expressive form which conveys its own meaning. Characteristics that can be examined include the medium and materials used; the size, shape, colors, and angles present; the subject, scene, idea, or emotion represented; and the nature and origin of the idea for the work. (JW)

Suggests that teachers can work with children's families to study likenesses and differences in their respective cultures. Details a class project for 7- to 8-year-olds whereby children start with self-portraits and construct masks of their faces. Provides sample mask project timeline and steps for making masks out of paper molds and a…