The Egyptian architect Wissa Wassef believed artistry in crafts to be an innate human characteristic that would be universally expressed under the right conditions, i.e., the practice of the craft from early childhood. When he had Egyptian peasant children with no previous art experience weave tapestries, the results astounded the world. (RM)

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)

The article proposes the Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production as an appropriate culture-fair assessment to identifying creative potential worldwide. Fifteen sample drawings of children from around the world, all based on the same original stimuli, are provided. (DB)

Young Artists is the annual exhibition of student art work from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, public schools, which is displayed from late May to early September in the museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center. The program is described and some of the winning artwork is reproduced. (RM)

Too much stress on technical procedure in a ceramics class can inhibit elementary students' free inquiry. It should be remembered that ceramics is a form of visual art and that art is a form of expression. Teachers must help students express themselves. (RM)

This book explores how young children learn to draw and draw to learn, at home and school. It provides support for practitioners in developing a pedagogy of drawing in Art and Design and across the curriculum and provide advice for parents about how to make sense of their children's drawings. This book is enlivened with the real drawings of seven…

Describes the artist-in-residence program of the San Diego, California schools and the Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation. This program which serves over 100 schools of many cultures is making its mark on the landscape in the form of site-specific sculptures, earth works, and community-oriented murals. (KM)

Children are born artists, and artistic talent emerges from the interplay of proclivity, cultural enrichment, and nurturance. Intended to demystify art for parents and teachers and to help them understand what the art experience is like for the child or adolescent, this book discusses visual art concepts in simple terms and presents art as a…

Describes how children six years and older can create plaster friezes. Children were first shown examples and then drew plans before creating their own friezes. (KM)

Describes how artist Betye Saar collects technological debris that she manipulates to create her artwork. Compares her work with African art which has a long history of transforming materials from the environment into symbols and objects. Suggests activities for students to create art with debris from their environment. (KM)

Describes how a teacher can motivate students to be creative by dressing up, performing for them, hiding things, and designing visual experiments. Advocates that art teachers demonstrate that art class is a playful and exciting place to be. Suggests methods to encourage teachers and students to perform. (KM)

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)

Giving children the opportunity to be creative requires allowing children to find and solve problems and communicate ideas in novel and appropriate ways. This paper presents 12 basic principles for teachers to follow when presenting art activities with children. These principles include: the process of creating a picture or project is more…

The gallery and weaving workshops of the Wissa Wassef School, located near Cairo, Egypt, are described. The school was started 30 years ago by the Egyptian architect Wissa Wassef, who believed in innate creativity and the need to encourage artistic creation by the practice of the craft from early childhood. (RM)

Offers examples of good Soviet art teachers and their ideas. Describes an art teacher who allows children to draw in any position so as to free natural creativity. Tells of programs to develop children's interest and ability in folk art, architecture, and life. Stresses the importance of sincerity of interaction and innovation. (DK)