Teachers Roles and Responsibilities The National Art Education Association (1999) has identified nine key opportunities

that teachers should provide to students of art. 1. Examining extensively both natural and human-made objects from many sources. In this way, children were able to examine these objects closely and to compare/ contrast the various depictions of the objects with photographs of the actual objects. 2. Expressing individual perceptions, ideas and feelings through a variety of art media suited to the manipulative abilities and expressive needs of the student. Most young preschoolers create nonrepresentational art, meaning that the art does not look like the item being represented. They are more interested in the feel of the materials, in expressing their emotions and in expressing real and imaginary images. If the teacher invited children to try some different hand movements, the children have many opportunities to express themselves through artistic medium. Older children may plan a design and become very deliberate and controlled in their use of color, form and line to develop a particular composition. 3. Experimenting with art materials and processes to understand their potentials for personal expression. When a second-grade teacher invites his students to make a gift collage, it results in extensive experimentation with materials. 4. Working with tools appropriate to the students abilities to develop manipulative skills needed for satisfying aesthetic expression. Beginning teachers are sometimes surprised to encounter preschoolers who do not know how to cut with scissors. Rather than insisting that all children begin using scissors immediately, skilled teachers give children options such as tearing paper, cutting pieces of modeling dough rolled thin, tearing at the paper with scissors, resting the scissors on the desk while cutting and making simple cuts (Schirrmacher, 1988). A skilled teacher also know that it is too difficult for young children to cut out small interior spaces, partly because they lack the fine motor control needed for such a task and partly because they need sharp, pointed scissors to do the job, which can result in injury. Teachers also wait until children have gained experience with scissors before expecting them to cut on lines or to use special equipment such as pinking shears, which must be kept at a right angle to the fabric in order to function properly. 5. Organizing, evaluating and reorganizing works-in-process to gain an understanding of the formal structuring and expressive potential of line, form, color and texture in space. One way of glimpsing young childrens thinking about art is to encourage them to talk as they work with materials and listen to what they have to say. 6. And 7. Reading about, looking at, and discussing works of art and design from contemporary and past cultures using a variety of educational media and community resources; Seeing artists and designers at work in their studios and in the classroom through the use of technology. Every community offers examples of sculpture, constructions, architecture, industrial and handcrafted products. 8. Evaluating art of both students and mature artists, industrial products and home and community design. As part of a unit one consumer education, a group of third graders decides to compare/ contrast the features of three pieces of educational print-shop software. The students establish a rating sheet for the product, which included such things as the quality and variety of pictures available and the number of different tasks possible (i.e., banner, invitation, greeting card or letter head). They compile their data and then, using published software reviews as a guide, write a critique for each. In this way, children have gained firsthand experience in the evaluation of industrial/ technical products.

9. Engaging in activities that provide opportunities to apply art knowledge and aesthetic judgment to personal life, home and workplace. Ms. Sandstrom has decided that her second-grade classroom needs to be rearranged to accommodate and display some of their new projects. One of those projects is a scale model of their main street, because they have been studying simple maps. Rather than recorganizing the room herself after school, she used this as an opportunity to build the childrens aesthetic judgment. She makes a scale model of the classroom on separate pieces of colored overhead transparencies. The children experiment with many different room arrangements by shifting the items around on the overhead projector until they decide on the best classroom layout. Establishing Rules and Limits Teachers should establish rules and limits that enable children to get the most from their art experiences. Talking with Children about Their Art Childrens drawings may be broadly categorized as nonrepresentational or representational (Kellogg, 1979). Both types of art are authentic means of selfexpression. Children are simply exploring an artistic medium. Children do not separate their sensory impressions from one another, nor do they dichotomize feelings and ideas as adults are prone to do. In fact, Davis and Gardner (1992) reported that when they asked a young preschooler to draw scary house, the child obliged by drawing a regular-looking house, but growled all the while he drew it. As you respond to childrens artwork, keep the following guiding principles in mind: 1. Present several alternatives. Rather than turning art into an assignment, provide children with choices, not only of how the finished product will look, but also of the process they will use to get there. 2. Treat child artists and their work with respect. Let children know that their work is valued by displaying it proudly, helping them to transport it home safely and finding something positive to say about their work (Rankin, 1995). 3. Emphasize feelings and responses. Rather than treating art as an assembly task or an exercise in following directions, encourage children to explore emotions via the arts. 4. Intervene when children seem stalled or frustrated. Ask questions that will help children to take a different approach or perspective rather than falling into a rut or quitting in frustration. Encourage children to persist when tasks are challenging rather than becoming discouraged if the way to proceed is not clear or obvious. 5. Help children to sort out what is essential from what is unnecessary. Teach them the skills of emphasizing what is most important in their creative products and help them to understand that many times less is more and aesthetic experiences are improved by the elimination of extraneous details. 6. Recognize childrens efforts, but do not accept slapdash work. Guide children in doing their best and give recognition to their achievements, not as a highly competitive contest, but as a bonus after the work is produced. When it is clear that children did not make a real effort to explore the materials or produce their best work, try to find out why and give them another chance to excel (adapted from Cohen & Gainer, 1995).

Generally speaking, it is best to reply on artistic elements when discussing art with very young children. Developing Concepts and a Vocabulary of Art Developing a childs vocabulary of art involves three things: 1. Encouraging children to discuss the artwork first in ordinary language. If children discuss art in their own words first, it permits an equal sharing of adult and child perceptions. 2. Introducing the vocabulary in context. If children use new words in conjunction with direct experience, they are more likely to make the words part of their active vocabularies. When Jennys mother demonstrated her cakedecorating talents to second graders, they used the words thick, thin, food coloring, pastry bag, and all of the names for the different metal tips used. The children examined a real rose on the cake. Finally, each child had an opportunity to decorate a cupcake using the pastry tips, techniques and colors of their choice. 3. Using accurate, appropriate vocabulary. Teachers need to provide new vocabulary words quickly and unobtrusively so that they underscore the childs experience rather than impose the teachers opinions (Dixon & Chalmers, 1990). This might explain why young children tend to prefer abstract works of art over realistic onesabstract works of art allow children to suggest a wider range of interpretations for the same work (Bowker & Sawyers, 1988). A simple material such as cornstarch and water can build the art vocabulary of preschoolers. Building a vocabulary of art is important because we sometimes take it for granted that children who do not respond verbally are incapable of appreciation or criticism, when in fact they may not have the appropriate words to discuss their own work and involvement or the work of others. Without being able to draw easily on a descriptive vocabulary, children are frequently unwilling to enter into a discussion (Dixon & Chalmers, 1990) Ways of Discussing Art In early childhood programs that support childrens development in art, young children not only create original art, they respond to the art of others. Understanding childrens artistic development, the role of art in promoting meaningful self-expression and the basic principles of a highquality art education is essential to a well-balanced early childhood curriculum (Wright, 1997). Skillful teachers have learned to use the arts, not as an afterthought or add-on, but as a basic foundation of the developmentally appropriate early childhood curriculum (Rasmussen, 1998). Locating Resources and Storing Materials Art materials should: 1. Extend childrens experience. In order to foster creative expression, children need to learn the same elements and principles of design understood by artists. Naturally, it is important that design elements and principles be presented in developmentally appropriate ways. 2. Be plentiful. To acquire an ample supply of free paper, all you need to do is find an office and recycle. Newspaper printers will sometimes give away the ends of paper rolls and wrapping paper from gifts can be saved by

everyone in the class. For special papers, make contact with a printer who prints stationery and invitations or get in touch with a frame shop. Another way to achieve greater variety in classroom resources is to send home a list at the beginning of the year asking for such things as sewing and craft materials and throwaway materials that can be put to another use. 3. Be accessible. It is important for children to use materials when they wish, rather than being completely dependent upon adults for access to materials. Be alert to inexpensive or throwaway materials that can be put to another use. An old microwave cart, divided trays or a lazy susan can all help provide children access to many different materials, keep the materials organized and make the collection mobile. 4. Be age-appropriate. The thing to remember in providing age-appropriate experiences is to consider whether the child can complete the artwork without excessive adult interference. If the teacher must draw, cut out or assemble things for the child, then the activity is not age-appropriate. 5. Be of high quality. Adult sometimes insist that children use crayons rather than markers, but young children often prefer the bright color and control of a water-based marker. True, markers are expensive and can easily be ruined by leaving the caps off or pressing too firmly. But rather than ruling them out, teachers need to demonstrate how to use and care for them. One way to help children with the task of putting on the caps is to make a marker stand by sinking the caps into a lump of wet plaster of paris or clay so that children can replace the markers with one movement (Clemens, 1991). As you organize art materials in your classroom, differentiate among those that are used daily, occasionally and infrequently. Store materials for daily use, such as crayons, scissors or paper, on low, open shelves where children can see and reach them.

Displaying Childrens Art Some general guidelines for displaying childrens art include placing the work at childrens eye level where they can enjoy it, rotating art regularly and utilizing a variety of spaces-not just walls or bulletin boards, but also cardboard box panels, doors, windows, shelves and display cases. Consider also how you will deal with work-in-progress as opposed to finished projects. Usually, the works-in-progress need to be out on a low table so that children can return to them again easily, while the finished projects can be placed in a slightly less accessible area, such as on the windowsills. A part of displaying childrens art that is often neglected is the finishing touch, such as a frame for a picture. Frames for childrens art can be colored paper, Styrofoam meat trays, plastic microwave food trays, plastic coffee can lids or boxes and lids of every description. With older children, you may want to develop an art gallery of their framed art, tape record childrens descriptions of their art or even make a walking-tour tape similar to that used in a museum. Displaying art is for everybody, not just the small percentage of children who might become professional artists someday. Rather than functioning as a talent scout who singles

out only a few childrens work to be displayed, teachers should recognize every childs efforts at self-expression. It is important to respect the childrens wishes to take their work home and display it there too. Children should be permitted to take their work home immediately or at least within a reasonable period of time. Teachers who care about childrens art make sure that the paint is dry before rolling up the picture or, if the art is three dimensional, plan a way for the child to transport the item home safely.