The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how children's responses to literature can help develop literacy. The subjects were 15 first-grade students at Overstreet Elementary School in Starkville (Mississippi). Two school observations were carried out prior to the collection of data on individual students. Case studies were conducted…

This instructional resource, designed to be used by and with elementary level students, provides inspiration for landscape painting by presenting the work of six different artists. These include: "Fuji in Clear Weather" (Katsushika Hokusai, 1823-29); "The Tree of Life" (Gustav Klimt, c. 1905-1909); "The Waterlily…

Storytelling has cultural roots and this can be employed to teach a culturally pluralistic curriculum. Stories can be selected from a variety of sources and used to match lesson objectives. Criteria for selecting stories should include the authenticity of cultural representation, the amount of cultural information, appropriateness, and the…

Although many clinicians use drawing tasks to assess children who have been exposed to family violence, few professionals are aware of current research in this area. Professionals should be apprised of the graphic indicators of child abuse in drawings, reliable art-based assessment tools, and legal and ethical principles surrounding the use of…

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…

This paper considers the psychological aspects of children's drawings. The utility of the Draw a Person Test (DAPT) for different types of pscyhological research is discussed, and the non-intellectual and cultural factors of the DAPT are described. Suggestions on the administration, scoring, and interpretation of drawings are given. The next two…

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…

This paper discusses the nature and function of children's literature and theater. Artistic creative work for children is constituted not only by literature but also by the theater, film, radio and television. Children's literature used to be an art of narration, a verbal text coupled with gesture. Modern, highly technical communication media have…

This coloring book contains pictures of more than 79 fish and shellfish found on the Atlantic Coast. Captions give information on habitats, behavior, or commercial uses of the species pictured. Indexes of both common and scientific names are given. (BB)

Compares the value of constructive criticism for older and younger children's artwork. Examines the effect that criticism has upon both age groups to learn whether the criticism is well received or damaging to further student effort. (Author/RK)

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)

Art historians are saying that while art outside the mainstream challenges many usual assumptions about art history, more attention should be given to nontraditional art genres such as graffiti, folk art, children's art, prehistoric cave paintings, and the art of the insane. (MSE)

An interdisciplinary social studies/art project involving elementary students in studying the local architecture of Woodbury, Connecticut, and sharing their experiences through murals and bulletin boards is described. How baseboard covering can be used as a block printing material is discussed. A lithography printing technique for use in secondary…

This book is a collection of essays in which the author counters high-stakes testing, the pathologizing of children, and the unrelenting critique of public schools with a persuasive account of how children actively make sense of the world and their experience through the making of works, such as drawings, constructions, and writings. The book is…