Discusses children's use of crayons, markers, and other art materials at various developmental stages. Suggests art activities and guidelines for teachers for each developmental stage. (BB)

Assigned drawings of 217 children (ages 4, 6, 8, and 10) were evaluated for both developmental and ability-related differences. Age-related trends were found in the ability to render perspective with talented children making flexible and elaborate use of perspectival abilities. Artistic abilities other than perspective appeared to be less…

Outlines the patterns and processes of visual representation which occur during early childhood and suggests some differences that may be apparent in relation to the young gifted child. Stages of development are described and the use of children's drawings as indicators of giftedness is also outlined. (Author/CR)

Offers an art activity that provides a balance between structure and an opportunity for students to be creative. Explains that the students begin drawing pictures of a clown through five teacher-directed steps and then the teacher leaves the children with half- finished drawings allowing them to creatively finish them on their own. (CMK)

Describes an art lesson for second graders inspired by the loss of Princess Diana and Mother Theresa entitled "Princes, Princesses, Heroes and Heroines." Attempts to relate to the children's personal lives and focuses on people who, in the minds of the children, changed or improved the world. (CMK)

Describes an art lesson in which first grade students learned to reproduce the three-dimensional world on two-dimensional paper, creating a landscape through a telescopic perspective. Explains that students first learn about landscapes. Discusses the process of making telescopic drawings. (CMK)

Describes a two-part unit for middle school students that focuses on gesture. Students (1) create puppets using oak tag and brass fasteners, (2) trace the gesturing puppets into a drawing, and (3) decorate the puppets they originally created. (CMK)

Believes that curriculum integration is the key to successful teaching for the future. Describes an Action Research Project where four teachers made connections across the disciplines of science, music, and art as part of a grant project called "Connecting the Curriculum." Summarizes the art project in which the students created flip…

We investigated the nature of graphic formulas in 5-, 7-, and 9-year-old children when they were asked to draw a house and a television in a free condition, and then to draw from photographs of these objects. Assuming that the frequency of occurrence of a feature in children's drawings reflects its semantic weight, we studied the relations between…

This study investigated the use of the developmental level of kindergarten children's art work as a predictor of readiness for first grade. The sample consisted of 55 children (33 girls and 22 boys) in three kindergarten classes. All were over 5 years of age and had not attended kindergarten before. The kindergarten screening measure used a…

Focusing on appropriate methods and criteria for identifying giftedness in elementary visual arts students, the study consists primarily of an annotated bibliography divided into three sections: childhood visual art development (9 entries); selected identification procedures and instruments (25 entries); and identification techniques in the…

Mexican children from Cosomaloapan (male dominated) and Tehuantepec (female dominated) were asked to draw "the person you'd like to be." In Cosomaloapan, 96% of the females and 93% of the males drew their own sex. In Tehuantepec, 76% of the males and 71% of the females drew theirs. There were highly significant between-city differences…

The test-retest reliability of criteria often used in diagnosing brain damage through the use of children's drawings was found to be low. A review of the literature showed different opinions on what drawing characteristics were indicative of brain damage. Low test-retest reliabilities may explain the variations in the literature. (Author/GDC)

This study of third graders examined the relative effects, under two conditions each, of two teaching methods: modeling of the contour drawing process and presentation of predrawn examples. Analysis of children's posttest drawings for visual information content indicated that predrawn examples were more effective than modeling as a teaching…

The author discusses children's developing conceptions of how to represent objects artistically. She compares the use of detail, line, viewpoint, and dimension in imaginative and observational drawings by concrete-operational children and cites their opinions about the accuracy of their work. Part of a series on children's art. (SJL)