Online Companion: Early Education Curriculum: A Child's ...



Online Companion: Early Education Curriculum: A Child's Connection to the World, 4E

Chapter 8

Art

• Reflective Review Questions

• Web Activities

• Additional Related Web Links

Reflective Review Questions

1. What is meant by gross motor activities and fine motor activities? Give three examples of art activities for each type.

2. We often hear an adult asking a child about a painting by saying such things as “What is this?” or “Tell me about your picture.” True, the adult is giving attention to the child and the work, but are these appropriate questions? What might the adult say that would be more appropriate? Why?

3. Discuss the value of rules for how children care for and use art materials and how the art center is to be maintained. Is there such a thing as too many rules, or rules that are too strict? What happens if there are too few rules or the rules are vague? What are developmentally appropriate ways to enforce the rules?

4. How would you counter a family member’s criticism about the messy condition her/his preschool child is in at the end of the day?

5. Describe a crayon-resist art activity, listing the steps and what the final result should be. Would this activity be appropriate for three-year-olds? Why or why not?

6. How can art be math, science, language, and literacy? Explain, citing specific examples.

7. List six guidelines for the effective display of children’s art.

8. Describe how a classroom’s art environment and materials might be altered to make it more suitable for children with special needs.

Web Activities

1. Crayola



Explore this colorful, fun Web site. Select one activity or item from each of the following categories: “for Educators” and “for Parents.” How would you use the information gained from the Educators selection? How would you share the activity with parents? How would you introduce the Web site to children? Do you think the activities are appropriate? Describe the one you choose. In writing, summarize what you liked and did not like about the Crayola site. Explain your answers.

2. Child Art Foundation



You’ll spend a lot of time exploring this site and have fun while doing it. Children and their families will enjoy surfing this Web site, too. Summarize in writing what you discovered. Which items are your favorites? How will you use the information with young children? Which categories will you encourage the children to explore on-line? Explain how these will motivate the children to think differently about art.

3. ART TALK

Before you start this assignment, a word of caution: Many teachers never learned about ART TALK, so often it is not used in the classroom. This is not meant as a criticism of those teachers, but as an opportunity for you to learn a more appropriate and meaningful way to discuss artwork with children. Even the best trained teachers sometimes have the words “Good job” slip out of their mouths. It is automatic, so teachers have to consciously train themselves not to say it.

The Art Window



(Click on the “Directory,” then click on “Foundations”)

Alfie Kohn



(Click on “Articles,” then click on “Five Reasons to Stop Saying ‘Good Job!’”)

Community Playthings



(Click on “Free Early Childhood Resources,” then under the Collage logo click on “Art with Children,” then and then click on “Expert advice on how to encourage creativity by simply talking with your young artists.”)

Early Childhood News



(Click on “Articles,” then click on “Creative Arts”; there are 33 articles)

At your practicum site, record the comments that teachers make to children about their artwork. After collecting comments for three visits, explore some of these Web sites. Compare the teachers’ comments to the suggestions. Are the teachers using ART TALK in the classroom? Each time you are in your practicum, try to practice using some of the suggestions you have learned about in order to develop an ART TALK vocabulary.

4. Find and thoroughly explore the Web sites of three children’s book authors/ illustrators. The following Web sites might help you in your search.

Authors and Illustrators

Children’s Book Awards and other Literary Prizes



(Click on “Children’s Book Awards (General)”)

Children’s Book Council



(Click on “Author/Illustrator Directory”)

Cynthia Leitich Smith



(Click on “Children’s and YA Literature Resources,” click on “Authors & Illustrators,” then click on “On The Web,” and then click on the alphabetical range you want to search)

Index to Internet Sites—Authors and Illustrators on the Web



Learning About Authors and Illustrators



(Scroll down to find the alphabetical listing of authors and illustrators or click on “Children’s Literature Page”—this site has many lists of multicultural books for children)

What types of information did you learn about the individuals? What did you like or dislike about these sites? Would you recommend this site to other students or colleagues? Share three activities involving a book that was suggested from each of the Web sites with your classmates.

5. Reggio Emilia—Aesthetics

DesignShare



DesignShare is the central address for the very best in educational facilities and their impact on the learning process. DesignShare provides an invaluable service as a facilitator of ideas and resources about best practices and innovation in schools from early childhood through the university level.

(Type in “Reggio Emilia” in the Search box, then click on the “Aesthetic Codes in Early Childhood Classrooms” Web site. If you get an error message, click back to the Introduction section first before gaining access to Section 3.)

OR go to . Scroll down to “The role of the environment-as-teacher” and click on “environmental pictures”; this site also gives you access to all three parts of the article on aesthetics.

Whichever site you use, make sure to read the sections in order.

After reading this information, think about the different classrooms you have experienced in your life. Would you classify any of them as aesthetic in nature? If yes, write down specific aesthetic examples you remember to support your rationale. Everyone should create a sketch of an aesthetic classroom for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or primary-age children. Make sure to use color in your sketch and label the environment. Make a list of the aesthetic touches that you have included.

6. National and state standards have been revised, updated, or perhaps created for art. Conduct an Internet search to find out whether your state has current standards for art benchmarks and indicators. Print or save them so that you can use them in your activity planning for children, as well as for other assignments.

Additional Related Web Links

1. America for the Arts



2. Arts Education Partnership



3. Bank Street



4. Bright Ideas for Learning



(Click on “Cool Links” or “Fostering Creativity”)

5. EdByDesign



(Click on “Art Ideas” in the Special Needs Corner, then scroll down and click on any of the five media for free ideas for art activities)

6. Global Children’s Art Gallery



7. International Child Art Association



8. The Kennedy Center ArtsEdge



(Under the Teach section, click on “Lessons,” then in the Lessons Quick Search box type in “Let’s Talk About Painting”)

9. KinderArt



10. National Art Education Association (NAEA)



11. Process Art Versus Product

Community Playthings



(Click on “Free Early Childhood Resources,” then under the Collage logo click on “Art with Children,” and then click on “Caught in the middle of the Process vs Product dilemma? Here’s what it’s all about and a way out.”)

12. VSA Arts



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