Discusses attempts to correct perceptions of scientists and science among fourth-grade students. Efforts to advance the view that girls and people from various ethnic backgrounds could become scientists met with some success. After they were presented with information on a range of scientists, students drew pictures of scientists that were more…

Examined the mechanisms of peer influences on fifth-grade children's drawings. Observed the socio-collaborative processes by which children influence each other's artistic styles; found gender differences in content, technical quality, and meaning. (JPB)

Examines the place of art appreciation in early childhood education programs. Discusses historical changes in philosophies of art education and young children's capability for appreciating art. Presents suggestions for including art appreciation in the preschool curriculum, and describes ways to tie art activities to children's interests,…

Sandtray therapy, in which students use figures and the sand itself to build and design miniature worlds in a tray, can be a powerful and effective tool in meeting the mental health needs of children and adolescents, including and maybe especially children who are deaf and hard of hearing. It is a highly visual approach that crosses language and…

This book outlines a nontraditional approach to papier mache and a process called "cloth mache" with fifth- and sixty-grade students. The volume describes a process called "cloth mache," a technique neither widely known or practiced. By combining the two media, a new dimension of sculpture is opened to the student. The paper…

Conclusions derived from drawing research indicate that young children can be trained to see and respond to the distinctions of their observation and that these distinctions can enrich their drawing experiences. These distinctions include spatial information obtained from observation. Three basic factors influence young children's spatial…

The use of young children's art work in the assessment of reading readiness was studied through a qualitative research design. Subjects were 12 transitional-first-grade students from an elementary school, each of whom was treated as a case study. Artwork was collected from each child each month of the school year and reading levels were recorded.…

The program description and curriculum for Art Partners, a Cranford, New Jersey, after-school program to meet the needs of artistically talented children in grades 3-6, are provided. The program description includes information on: a suggested sequence of activities for 38 sessions, program organization, the artist-in-residence component, area art…

The case study of Nadia, an autistic child, documents the phenomenally accurate drawings she made. Nadia's precocious drawing capacity raises questions about the drawing hypothesis adhered to by F. Goodenough and D. B. Harris and Gestalt theories of perception and representation. The argument is made that Nadia drew realistically because she…

This teaching guide suggests practical ideas for encouraging artistic and musical talent in preschool children. It is part of a series of similar guides developed by the RAPYHT Project (Retrieval and Acceleration of Promising Young Handicapped and Talented) for educating young gifted/talented handicapped children and gifted children with no…

This guide is intended for leaders of children's groups and teachers of lower elementary grades. The book is divided into two parts. The first half contains reports by Cub Scout den leaders. The second part gives the entries of the winning 8-, 9-, and 10-year-old participants. In Part I, there are wide margins in which teachers or leaders can make…

A cross-age art project involving second graders and high school students is described. Each group investigated the design qualities of several popular picture books and then wrote their own stories. The second graders had to illustrate the high school stories and vice versa. It was a tremendous success. (RM)

This document consists of the two issues of the journal "Visual Arts Research" published in 1995. This journal focuses on the theory and practice of visual arts education from educational, historical, philosophical, and psychological perspectives. Number 1 of this volume includes the following contributions: (1) "Children's Sensitivity to…

Working with clay enables young children to express, explore, and communicate their feelings and ideas. This resource booklet for early childhood practitioners and it promotes the clay table as a special place for shared discoveries, social interaction, and discussion. The booklet provides a glossary of terms used in clay work, as well as reasons…

This qualitative study investigated the medium of drawings as a methodological technique for visual data analysis. The study explored graphical symbols as an additional source for descriptive, interpretive inquiry. The design focused on gaining insight into the perceptions of adolescents' experiences as expressed by the visual narratives in their…