The view that geometry should be taught at every grade level is promoted. Primary and elementary school children are thought to rarely have any direct experience with geometry, except on an incidental basis. Children are supposed to be able to learn geometry rather easily, so long as the method and content are adapted to their development and…

Children's own stories and drawings as well as data on children's choices for reading material were analyzed by race, sex, and age for preferences in settings, actors, and need representation. Books for children chosen by literary critics and by persons who buy books for children were also analyzed for what children and adults look for in these…

This secondary art curriculum is divided into 41 sections which may be taught separately or grouped for a full year course. It is intended as a resource for teachers, students, and others interested in curriculum development. The first 22 sections are recommended for junior high grades: sections 1-11 deal with design elements and principles and…

The "Flash Lab" method of teaching the elementary fundamentals of drawing, a system based on the psychology of perception, the behavioral sciences, and the biological sciences, was developed to help correct common errors which beginning students make, such as inability to generalize, lack of proportional relationships, misjudgement due to depth,…

One of a series of art guides for teaching a particular subject over a span of several grades (see also TE 499 897-TE 499 901), this particular guide covers the making of posters as an art experience which encourages children to improve the appearance of their room and school, increases their skill in lettering and using a variety of media,…

Compared family drawings of Chinese (People's Republic of China) and United States (U.S.) elementary school children. Chinese children depicted parents and grandparents more frequently, reflecting the Chinese tendency to perceive themselves as members of nuclear and extended families, whereas U.S. children expressed more individualism and…

Examines the social, ideological, and cultural forces in colonial United States when plaster casts of Grecian and Roman sculpture were introduced. Describes how they were used in U.S. public schools and art museums to transmit the cultural heritage at the end of the nineteenth century. (KM)

Aims to show that children have a "functional use of drawing" which contrasts with the mechanistic stages model of drawing development. Observes that young children's images often show extended time sequences. Argues that, when considered from this viewpoint, children's drawing abilities develop gradually from a high to a low variety of…

Critiques the attempt by David Pariser and Axel van den Berg to apply the author's methods to a cross-cultural study. Argues that their study is too flawed to be definitive. Suggests means to test the universality of the U-curve as a cognitive development pattern or an artifact of culturally defined aesthetics. (DSK)

Responds to a critique of the authors' work by Jessica Davis. Enumerates and responds to each of Davis' critiques, arguing that many of them are invalid. Defends the research design choices made by the authors and the results of their study. (DSK)

University education students examined three strategies to teach drawing--self-expression, observational drawing, and incorporating language input--to primary school students. Findings suggested that particular characteristics of language strategies were most successful in promoting learning, especially when instructors were clear about the type…

Draw-a-Person (DAP) samples from 108 adolescents and adults with mental retardation were scored using Naglieri's cognitive and emotional disturbance scoring systems. Visual-motor skills emerged as the best predictor of DAP cognitive scores, more predictive than intelligence. Findings suggest caution in using DAP as an index of intelligence or as a…

Utilizes historical research in order to examine current arts education policy; historical research can help policymakers develop more comprehensive perspectives and understand why specific strategies might have failed in the past. Explores reasons behind art education, why art was taught in public schools, and how to implement lasting reforms.…

It is important for art teachers to understand how children develop artistically. This kind of knowledge is essential for choosing age-appropriate teaching strategies and content for the units and lessons that the art teacher develops. Beginning art teachers study developmental theory in educational psychology classes, but it seems that this is…

There is a current vacillation in choosing hand or computer for design presentation in academia. Although the computer emerged as very powerful alternative presentation medium, it could not sweep away the hand totally. Believing that this vacillation cannot only be due to the positive and negative aspects of both media, we worked with a group of…