Date of Award

3-1981

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Jeanne Donovan

Second Advisor

Nancy Polette

Abstract

This paper identifies the developmental stages in children' s art and demonstrates the necessity of having a developmental art program in the kindergarten through sixth grades. The art program should be one that provides for the students ' needs to express themselves creatively and appropriately at each age . The act of creative involvement will allow children to refine their motor and perceptual skills, help them to express their emotions freely, and enable them to cope with their individual growth patterns.

The subjects used in this study were five to twelve year old children, ranging from kindergarten through the sixth grade , attending Manchester and Henry Schools of the Parkway School District . The subjects performed all art projects in their art classes under the supervision of a certified art instructor.

A thorough literature research was a prerequisite for the process of identifying the developmental phases in children ' s art . Observation was then used to further identify the growth patterns of children in art. The observations made are supported by documented research and the slides of children's art .

The results of the research and observation show a progressive development in the elementary child ' s art. The child's experiences cover the span of Scribbling and the Intuitive Stage (K- 2) , the development into middle childhood and the Schematic Stage (3- 4), and finally climax in the Stage of Realism (5-6).

In summary, conclusive evidence demonstrates the necessity of a developmental art program during the elementary years . Included in this paper are suggestions for an art program of the type which will nurture a child ' s natural creative ability and establish a repertoire of art skills in an orderly manner that builds on each subsequent year. At no other time in an individual ' s life will he experience a period of spontaneous creativity to the degree that a child does . Art educators and other adults must be encouraged to nurture this energetic, creative flow.

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