THE NEED TO TEACH

ART TO CHILDREN
Teaching Arts in the Elementary Grades
We need to teach art to young children because:

1. Arts is an integral part of our lives

2. Arts is the child’s first language
3. Art helps children grow
1. Arts is an Integral Part of Our Lives
■ We are surrounded by art such that the best way
to describe art is to imagine life without it.
■ How would you look like if there are no color,
texture, and patterns?
■ Visual art is the manipulation of the visual and
spatial elements of line, color, texture, pattern,
and form (Koster, 1997).
■ Art can be used for decorative, communicative or
expressive purposes.
2. Arts is the Child’s First Language
■ Long before children learn to write or express
their thoughts into words, they manipulate lines,
colors, textures, patterns, and forms to express
their thoughts.
■ Art is the first written language.
■ Ex: a child drawing a big circle and putting three
dots on the face for eyes and five lines as hair is
demonstrating an understanding of the features
of the human face.
3. Art Helps Children Grow
■ As young children create art, they gain skills and
develop concepts which enable them to function
in their environment.
■ Art helps children grow physically, socially,
emotionally, perceptually, cognitively, and
creatively.
3. Art Helps Children Grow
■ Physically – by improving their large and fine
muscles and by refining eye-hand coordination
■ Emotionally – art is a natural vehicle for children
to express their feelings. (Ex: bright colors mean
they are happy, dark means sad)
■ Socially – as children work together in creating
art, they learn social skills
■ Cognitively – children learn through their senses,
and visual perception is visual thinking
3. Art Helps Children Grow
■ Visual Thinking – is a cognitive process where
images are given meaning.

■ Children grow cognitively as they name, count

sort, classify and describe art materials.
■ Planning, organizing, selecting media
■ Cause and Effect – what happens if I mix red
and blue?
ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT
IN YOUNG CHILDREN
The Need to Teach Art to Children
Artistic Development in Young Children

■Researchers have collected samples of

children’s art and looked for patterns as a
means of understanding how children think.
The Work of Rhoda Kellogg
■ Rhoda Kellogg (1970) was one of the first to
recognize that the scribbles of young children
were an important part of the child’s
development and that the marks made by
different children from different cultures and
countries are more similar than they were
different.
Stages of Creative Development (Kellogg)
1. The Placement Stage
– Kellogg used the term placement stage to
describe 2 to 3 years old’s drawings drawn on
a page in placement patterns
Stages of Creative Development (Kellogg)
2. The Shape Stage
– Kellogg used the term shape stage to describe
the drawings of three to four years olds that
consists of diagrams in different shapes.
– Children draw six basic shapes – circles,
squares or rectangles, triangles, crosses, X’s,
and forms.
Stages of Creative Development (Kellogg)
3. The Design Stage
– 3 to 4 years olds in which young children mix
two shapes into a more complex design.
Stages of Creative Development (Kellogg)
4. The Pictorial Stage
– 4 to 5 years olds that consists of objects that
adults can recognize
– According to her, children need plenty of time
for free drawing and scribbling in order to
develop the symbols that will later become the
basis of all drawing and writing.
Stages of Creative Development (Kellogg)
4. The Pictorial Stage
The Work of Victor Lowenfeld & William Lambert Brittain
■ Victor Lowenfeld & William Lambert Brittain
expanded Kellogg’s work and extended the
staged of art development into adolescence.
■ According to them, children moves through the
stages naturally as they mature.
■ Teacher’s role: to provide materials and the time
for children to explore on their own
Developmental Stages of Child Art
based on Kellog (1967) and Lowenfeld & Brittain (1987)

Age Stage Characteristics

2 – 4 years SCRIBBLING
A. 1 to 2 ½ Random Random lines using whole arm
Scribbling Tool held with whole hand
Lines may extend beyond paper

B. 2 ½ to 3 Controlled Begins to use wrist motions

Scribbling Stays on paper, makes smaller marks
Controls where lines are placed

C. 3 to 4 ½ Named Holds tool with fingers, Can make many

Scribbles different lines & shapes, names
scribbles, but often changes names
Developmental Stages of Child Art
based on Kellog (1967) and Lowenfeld & Brittain (1987)

Age Stage Characteristics

4 to 7 PRESCHEMATIC Develops a set of symbols to represent concept
May not resemble or in proportion to real
objects
Learns that pictures communicates to others
Begins to value his product

7 to 9 SCHEMATIC Drawing shows concept, not real images

Baseline and skyline appear
X-ray drawings appear
Developmental Stages of Child Art
based on Kellog (1967) and Lowenfeld & Brittain (1987)

Age Stage Characteristics

9 to 12 DAWNING Objects are drawn smaller, with more details
REALISM Less concern for placement of objects
Realizes that symbols do not represent real
images

12 to 14 PSEUDO- Detailed figures, cartoon images

NATURALISTIC Shading, proportion & perspective appear more
REALISTIC or less successfully
DRAWING Spontaneous drawing ends, except for those
who go in art
Developmental Stages of Child Art
based on Kellog (1967) and Lowenfeld & Brittain (1987)

Age Stage Characteristics

14 + ARTISTIC Some pursue naturalistic drawing
DECISION: Many copy or imitate various styles before
ADOLESCENT developing their own
ART
Art and Cognitive Development
■ Howard Gardner (1991) supports Piaget’s idea
of sensory learning dominates the first 18
months of life, and this is followed by a symbolic
period during the preschool years.
■ “Depiction of aspects of the world through
drawings, constructions in blocks and clay, and
other iconic vehicles is a symbolic avenue of
great significance in early childhood.”
Art and Cognitive Development
■ In his theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner
proposes that cognitive development takes place
in waves rather than stages.
Art and Cognitive Growth (Gardner 1997)
Age Cognitive Understanding Art Produced
Casual Discovers relationship Draws dog by scribbling and
Relationships between object and event barking at the same time
1 ½ to 2
Spatial Discovers spatial relationships Draws a dog by drawing a circle
Relationship (head) beside another circle
2 to 3 (body)
Numerical Represents numerical Draws dog with four legs, two
Relationships concepts ears, and one tail
3 to 5
Notational Invents or learns meaningful Draws dog with tail, flappy ears,
Relationships symbols of the culture and labels it “DOG”
5 to 7
Darras and Kindler, 1994; Wolf and Perry, 1984
■ Propose a model of artistic development that
shows how a child’s art is more than the picture
on the paper, but also what the child says and
how the child moves.
■ Art production is a multimedia blend of graphic,
verbal, and kinesthetic expression that reveals
the child’s thought processes.
■ They describe artistic production as modality,
one that organized by modes of behavior.
 Multimedia Modes of Artistic Production
(Kindler and Darras 1997)
CHILD MODE 1 MODE 2 MODE 3 MODE 4 MODE 5
Says Random Words Matches sounds Naming Story
sounds and actions
Draws Random Shapes Action symbols Object Pictures in
marks symbols cultural style
(under-
standable w/o
words)
Moves Random Conscious Self-imitation Repetition Imitation of
movements control cultural style
ADULT Media Simple Complex doodle Shorthand Detailed
exploration doodles symbols (e.g. recognizable
stick figures) symbols in
style of culture
Social & Cultural Factors that Affect Artistic Development

1. Adults determine what art materials are

acceptable for children to use and set the limit of
what is creative art.
2. Adults determine how much experience children
have with art materials. Repetition and practice are
the keys to improving skills.
3. Adults determine the availability of art. Children
are more likely to be interested in doing art if art
materials are readily available and the other
people around them are also doing art.
Social & Cultural Factors that Affect Artistic Development

4. Adults determine the kind of environment the

child will be surrounded with. Children who
have seen examples of a variety of art forms
and are taught to value them, are more likely to
include elements from these examples in their
own art.
5. Adults can influence how a child feels about
art. Children will learn to love or to hate art,
depending on how adults around them
respond to the children’s artwork.
RESPONDING TO
PROBLEMS
The Need to Teach Art to Children
Responding to Problems
1. Never force a child to participate in an art
activity.
– When children are afraid to participate,
respect this fear. Try to find out the cause so
you can provide reassurance and
encouragement.
2. Allow children to explore art materials on their
own terms.
3. Make sure children are dressed properly for an
activity
Responding to Problems
4. Provide a calm and accepting atmosphere.
– Start giving a positive statement to comfort
the child.
5. Intervene as subtly as possible.
– Restatement of the direction or a quick
demonstration given directly to child
6. Maintain a hands-off policy.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
THROUGH ARTS
Teaching Arts in the Elementary Grades
Cultural Diversity through Arts
■ Play and arts provide a way to communicate
across culture and regions.
■ Multicultural Education often includes race,
values, parenting styles, food, and clothing.
■ Music, visual arts, dance and drama provide an
avenue for appreciating and understanding
others, these arts forms provide a vehicle for
young children to communicate in a nonverbal
way.
Cultural Diversity through Arts
■ The arts help children from ethnic groups feel
accepted by their peers as they play, dance,
make music, or use puppets (Tubba, 1992).
■ The arts help us understand how we are
different as well as how we are the same.
Goldberg (2001) Principles on making Connections
between Multicultural Education and the Arts
1. The arts expand the expressive opportunities
and range of learning approaches to children.
Goldberg (2001) Principles on making Connections
between Multicultural Education and the Arts
2. The arts provide freedom of expression for
second-language learners.
Goldberg (2001) Principles on making Connections
between Multicultural Education and the Arts
3. The arts are an avenue for building self-
esteem.
Goldberg (2001) Principles on making Connections
between Multicultural Education and the Arts
4. The arts encourage collaboration and group
harmony.
Goldberg (2001) Principles on making Connections
between Multicultural Education and the Arts
5. The arts empower students and teachers.
Goldberg (2001) Principles on making Connections
between Multicultural Education and the Arts
6. The arts develop a teacher’s awareness of the
different abilities of children.
Goldberg (2001) Principles on making Connections
between Multicultural Education and the Arts
7. The arts provide authentic cultural voices that
support learning.