Gives an art activity for second-graders where they use two art techniques, tissue gluing and tempera painting, to create brightly colored pictures of landscapes. Expounds that first the students examine a variety of landscapes by different artists, such as Paul Cezanne, and then learn the differences between the foreground and background. (CMK)

This handbook, written for teachers, art teachers, and parents of young children, describes actual elementary school classroom experiences. Each anecdote is juxtaposed with a simple explanation of its philosophical and psychological rationale. Symbolic representation of the environment through art making is seen as a natural language, a…

This selective review of literature presents research and theory in support of the proposition that language is an essential component of early artistic development, and is crucial to the nature and nurture of visual expression. Young children frequently accompany drawing activities with descriptive, reflective, and social conversation, verbally…

Aspects of children's early representational drawing ability may provide evidence for feature marking in non-linguistic symbol systems. To test this assumption children in kindergarten, second, and fourth grade were asked to draw a set of referent objects in three conditions: a nominal or standard condition with no implied relationship ("two…

Graphic strategies employed by children, ages three to seven, to draw a family, children playing, a birthday party, and a garden were documented. Results indicated that strategies were task-dependent and flexible. The children developed progressively complex graphic routines in relating one figure to another within a composition. (Author/SR)

A recently developed pictorial and musical program was used to teach abstract art to 12 elementary students with severe intellectual disabilities and 12 controls. There was a significant main instructional effect favoring pictorial with classical music over both pictorial only and pictorial with rock music. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Examines the function of drawing by interviewing a wide range of people engaged in design activities. Promotes drawing for its vital contribution to two areas of design activities, exploration, and manipulation. Maintains that further research is necessary now that design and technology are part of the core curriculum in schools. (KM)

Describes a relief printmaking unit for sixth graders with the objective of decorating the inside of a pyramid. Ancient Egyptian imagery was used to help students become familiar with the style. Students designed and printed linoleum prints in different colors. They then critiqued their work and made their selection for the pyramid. (KM)

Describes activities of kindergarten through grade-four students in an art classroom that emphasizes expression of creative process along with the product. Explores interconnections between art, thinking, and writing as expressed by a former language arts teacher who transfers her knowledge of language, words, and creative expression to art. (BAC)

Suggests that asking children to color within the lines does not stifle their creativity but is similar to expecting children to stand in line for the bus or write neatly. Proposes that expecting students to color within the lines is establishing a basis of knowledge and control from which they can eventually explore more creative avenues of…

Describes the origins of the Peruvian Nazca Indians double-spouted jugs. Provides a lesson plan so students can create their own double-spouted jugs. (KM)

Interview with artist Ilka List describes her research: collecting 1872 drawings from rural and urban second- and third-grade children to determine the impact of environmental experiences on children's art, sense of self, and cognitive and emotional abilities. Children with a broad range of outdoor, nature-oriented experiences had greater spatial…

Explains the pedagogical and psychological concepts behind the approach developed by UNESCO that encourages children to express themselves freely on the subject of international understanding and peace in writing and art. Describes a project in which these concepts were applied focusing on a minority dispersed over many parts of the world:…

Stresses that art teachers should recognize the child as an artist and demonstrate the special nature of children's art. Explains that each art lesson should help children both see themselves as participants in the art world and sense connections between their art interests and the subject of the art lesson. (CMK)

Focuses on a video series showing elementary students discovering new approaches to painting. Describes performances and questions that expand children's views on painting, including painting objects, seeing different ideas for the canvas, and exploring new paint brush forms. (CMK)