Art With Children : Articles

Art With Children : Resources

All titles by MaryAnn Kohl, especially:

Preschool Art: It’s the Process Not the Product MaryAnn Kohl: Anyone working with toddlers or preschoolers and early primary age children will want these books. In Preschool Art, Over 200 activities teach children to explore and understand their world through open-ended art experiences that emphasize the process of art, not the product. Activities are included for painting, drawing, collage, sculpture and construction.

First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos MaryAnn Kohl: Children discover their world as they explore the 75 fun-filled art adventures in First Art.

The Colors of Learning: Integrating the Visual Arts into the Early Childhood Curriculum. Margaret Johnson, Sharon Mitchell, Rosemary Althouse: This creative and in-depth book will change the way that teachers think about and react to children's artwork. Based on both NAEYC and the National Art Education Association standards, the authors promote the integration of visual art into all early childhood curriculum areas, helping early childhood professionals to present meaningful art experiences to children so that they become engrossed in expressing their ideas and newly learned concepts through art media. Features actual classroom dialogue and many illustrations of children's art.

Art and Creative Development for Young Children Robert Schirrmacher: Skillfully arranged and written, this curriculum/book is well written and very valuable to all educators and parents of preschool age children.

Art: Basic for Young Children Lila Lasky and Rose Mukerji-Bergeson: Full of examples of how art can instill confidence, communication, and creativity in young children by increasing sensitivity to the physical environment, offering new ways to express feelings, and enhancing awareness of individuality. Includes a practical overview of possible materials ranging from finger paint to plaster and outlines exciting project ideas for fostering creativity.

In the Spirit of the Studio, Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia Edited by Lella Gandini, Lynn Hill, Louise Caldwell, and Charles Schwall.: As the authors state in their opening chapter, "prepare to be amazed." This beautiful book describes the revolution that the Reggio Emilia atelier (art studio) brought to the education of young children in Italy, and follows that revolution across the ocean to North America. It explores how the experiences of children interacting with rich materials in the atelier affect an entire school’s approach to the construction and expression of thought and learning.

Fostering Creativity MaryAnn F. Kohl: Great introductory article right at teacher's level—well worth reading. If we didn't already have one article by MaryAnn Kohl in this issue we would have included this one. Print it out and use it to start an in-service training on Creativity.

MaryAnn Kohl's recommended websites: Full of art resources for working with young children. She did all the work of finding these sites for us. Enjoy exploring them.

Online and Print Resources for Exploring the Creative Arts with Young Children: This is an extensive list of resources for all the creative arts, including music, drama and the visual arts.

Don't be Afraid of the Mess! Bringing Collage, Paint, and Clay into the Classroom Sandra Fisher: With careful preparation, a well thought out arrangement of the environment, simple clean-up procedures, and a sense of humor, traditionally messy art activities, such as collage, paint, and clay can be a positive and enjoyable learning experience for everyone involved.

When Children Draw Sandra Crosser, Ph.D: Excellent article on the typical progression children’s art follows from scribbling to representational drawing. Includes suggestions on how to encourage drawing.