Visual arts, such as drawings, are attractive to most young children. Marks left on paper by young children contain meaning. Although it is known that children's oral language could be enhanced through communication with adults, rarely is there a series of dialogues between adults and young children about their drawings. Often heard instead…

Describes a unit on lighthouses, originally a social studies unit, in which students participate in two art projects: (1) a lighthouse printmaking activity and (2) a scratch-etch activity using lighthouses. Describes the steps for printmaking and the process of creating scratch-etch drawings. (CMK)

Describes an art activity for first-grade students in which the students draw their own still-life pictures, using teddy bears and balls as the subject matter. Explains that the students must include three objects, a line for the table, and overlap the shapes. (CMK)

This manual focuses on visual art and is intended for teachers using the Project Success Enrichment (PSE) program to teach gifted or interested elementary school students. An introduction discusses the PSE art philosophy, including a definition of the components of a complete work of art (subject matter, composition, and content), the study of…

Describes an experimental set of workshops in which primary age children used computers to create visual images. Concludes that using computers to create student artwork offers significant opportunities for primary and elementary art education. (CFR)

This document gives anecdotal stories of child art making along with philosophical interpretations for art teaching application. Art making is seen as experimental. It progresses from action to intentional mark making, naming, symbolic representation, and finally to "presence", an aesthetic creation experience that combines seeing and…

Maintains that there is increasing interest in the approach to art education in the Reggio Emilia schools in northern Italy. Describes the Emilia approach to early childhood education and characterizes it as child-centered and emergent. Includes a dialogue between a teacher and students using the approach. (CFR)

Studies indicate that arts education improves math learning in early elementary years, promotes significant cognitive gains, supports discovery, and builds knowledge. This conference paper indicates the importance of the arts in early education curriculum and provides an innovative way for teachers to bring constructivism into the classroom. It…