The Task Force on Children's Learning and the Arts: Birth to Age Eight guides the development of arts-based early childhood programs and resources, and links the arts to the literacy of young children. This document presents examples of activities, programs, research, and resources that exemplify each of three guiding principles related to: the…

This activity book contains over 130 art ideas from around the world, combining the fun and creativity of art with the mysteries of history, the lure of geography, and the diversity of the cultures of the world. These projects allow children to explore the world through art with a process, not a product, approach to artistic outcome; the process…

This teacher's guide gives practical and realistic ideas for teaching and learning about art. Creating artwork need not be seen as an activity in isolation but can be used to reinforce historical understanding or to support cross-curricular work. The aim of the guide is to help teachers recognize the potential of the historic environment to:…

American 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old children participated in an art program synthesizing the Suzuki Music method and an art instruction method developed by Yoshio Tamano. Children receiving the self-paced art lessons at home gained more in concept formation and painting skill than did a control group. (PP)

This fourth and final article in a series about children's story drawings describes a school art program based entirely on the visual narrative in which all art classroom activities and projects are based upon either visual storytelling or upon developing graphic vocabulary and grammar skills needed for visual narration. (Author/KC)

Argues that, although a little daily practice substantially improves reading proficiency, reading should be viewed as only the beginning of the literature experience. Suggests that interactions with books can continue through many other forms of response. Annotates 22 examples of children's books that invite dramatization, writing, art, music,…

Introduces Learning Through Art: The Guggenheim Museum Children's Program which is a creative approach to improve the reading and writing achievement of students scoring below the national average. Artists and selected teachers in participating New York City schools conduct workshops in which children are encouraged to express their feelings about…

Provides instructions and diagrams for making a life-sized morpho butterfly to wear on the finger and a paper bromeliad. Includes a pattern for copying. (RT)

Asserts that the practice of drawing in sketchbooks contributes something valuable and unique to young children and to those who teach them. Maintains that voluntary drawings offer children a form of engagement in art-making that is substantially different from what they experience in lessons initiated by a teacher. (CFR)

Children learn in a variety of contexts and from a variety of teachers, including their peers. It can be stimulating for children to examine the learning process and identify their own learning milestones. Brief reviews of stories about family and outside lessons and an activities sampler are provided. (Author/AEF)

Describes interactions among children in four preschool kindergarten art classes. Examines the nature of the talk surrounding children's mutual participation in voluntary art activities. Concludes that classroom social life demonstrated children's capacity to collaborate in meaningful ways and to benefit from the sharing of perspectives. (KM)

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)

Outlines a collaborative processing model of art education what draws upon the language and learning notions of Lev S. Vygotsky. Emphasizes the role of the learner in collaboration with her/his social environment rather than traditional disciplinary boundaries. Synthesizes the principles of transactional learning theory and the processes of making…

The background and dual evaluation approaches used in a nationwide arts evaluation project for Very Special Arts (arts programing for disabled and nondisabled children and adults) are described. Results of a field test in eight states of one of the assessment instruments developed in the evaluation are discussed. (SLD)

Reports on a study of seven preschool children engaged in drawing activities with traditional media (crayons, felt-tip pens, etc.) and a mouse-driven computer paintbox program. Finds that the same basic media-independent strategies are used when children try to establish a relationship between their mark-making actions and the resultant effects.…