Learning in the arts does not fit in with simple, conventional methodologies for teaching and assessing in the traditional sense, but it has an immense power to transform children’s understanding of the world around them, and their lives. Many jobs, currently and of the future, will demand the skills that learning in the arts will develop. This book brings Arts Education sharply into focus as a meaningful, learning experience for children of pre-school and primary age (3-11 years). It reinforces the potential for the wide range of physical, mental and emotional development, through learning opportunities that engagement in arts practice facilitates. Provides insight into how teachers can support children to consider contemporary challenges that face their generation. Includes expert voices from the world of education to demonstrate an expansive, and perhaps surprising, view of where and how the Arts can be found. Shows how we can bring the arts so easily into our curriculum, and into our classrooms.

Prepublication record (machine generated from publisher information)

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Art in the Primary School is an introductory textbook, and a second edition to Teaching Primary Art, exploring the underpinning philosophy and pedagogy of teaching and learning art, including how and why digital tools and technologies can be integrated. This book considers practical aspects of teaching art, focusing on key processes of art making that children might experience in primary schools. It is based around the idea that digital tools and technologies can and should be integrated into the learning and teaching of art, exploring: What art is like in the primary school, why it should be taught and what is included in the curriculum How learning is planned, assessed, taught and supported in the classroom Learning about and from artists and how digital technology can be part of the art curriculum Key processes such as drawing, painting, printmaking, collage and textiles, working in three dimensions and making digital art Uniquely incorporating the use of digital devices, tools and technologies into the subject of art, this book will be essential reading for those training to teach and support learning in art in the primary school.

Firmly based on the authors' personal experience, this book tackles a wide range of issues relating to the teaching of the arts in the primary school. The authors illustrate how primary children of all ages can be educated to both know about and to practice all the major art forms, and how a school staff can effectively accommodate and practice them all, even within the constraints of the National Curriculum. This book is unique in primary school education terms, as its primary focus is specific and it embraces every major art form - dance, drama, literature, music, visual arts and film.

'A beautifully reasoned argument, in the age of cuts, as to why the arts absolutely must be at the very heart of primary education' – Jon Snow Studying the arts, including visual arts, music, dance, drama and literature, has numerous benefits across the primary curriculum. A truly creative curriculum has the power to motivate and energise pupils; it develops creative and critical thinking, problem solving, language, and fine motor skills. But what is the best way to invest in and improve arts education across a school? Drawing on interviews with successful school leaders, case studies and her own extensive experience working in the education departments of the Courtauld Gallery, the National Gallery and Somerset House, Ghislaine Kenyon presents simple, inexpensive and practical ways to integrate the arts across the primary curriculum. The Arts in Primary Education shows how resources already present in schools, such as picture books or the outdoor environment, can be used to develop a creative culture. With a focus on long-term initiatives including partnerships with art institutions and the training and personal development of teachers, the book also presents clear and accessible explanations of the benefits of integrating the arts across a school. Backed by research and evidence and complete with images and descriptions of artworks, this guide is ideal for helping develop a whole-school arts curriculum to enrich learning and raise attainment in all subject areas.

Covers the contribution of arts to children's learning from Art and Design, Design for Technology to Drama and Music. The book also looks at the state of the arts in primary schools, and includes an evaluation of the relationships between the arts and those moral, spiritual, cultural and social values which impinge on all aspects of the arts and arts education. Each subject within the arts curriculum is considered separately to illustrate the general and specific issues which influence the work of the class teacher. The book also takes on the current thorny issue of assessment, recording and reporting, offering strategies for ways of responding to children's work, and suggestions for accumulating evidence on which to base assessment.