Learning Art Through Picture Books With Young Children

Very few studies have focused on learning about art through picture books. More importantly, teachers are trained as generalists and have minimal knowledge about supporting children to learn art, particularly through picture books. This project aimed to explore the aesthetic learning potential of pi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inArt education (Reston) Vol. 74; no. 4; pp. 33 - 38
Main Authors Wong, Kit Mei, Cheung, Man Wai William, Chiu, Ka Man
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 04.07.2021
Subjects
Art Education
Foreign Countries
Kindergarten
Picture Books
Preschool Children
Teaching Methods
Hong Kong
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Summary:Very few studies have focused on learning about art through picture books. More importantly, teachers are trained as generalists and have minimal knowledge about supporting children to learn art, particularly through picture books. This project aimed to explore the aesthetic learning potential of picture books in kindergartens. The project was conducted in a typical Hong Kong kindergarten offering a full-day program for children aged 2-6, 5 days a week. A workshop on visual arts elements and art appreciation was held at the beginning of the project. Then teachers were invited to select picture books with an emphasis on one element of visual arts and design to share with their class. Thirty children aged 5-6 (15 boys and 15 girls) and two teachers participated in the project. The element of visual arts and design chosen for this project was "pattern." Two picture books with strong patterns in their imagery were selected--namely, "Open This Little Book" by Jesse Klaumeier (2012) and "Elmer" by David McKee (1968). After reading the book, the teacher asked the children about their favorite things but did not discuss the visual arts elements of the picture book. Then the children were asked to make an artwork. This study demonstrates the potential for expanding and extending children's visual arts learning through picture books, albeit with minor adjustments based on the teachers' concerns. The children in this study demonstrated that they had good observation skills and were interested in investigating elements of visual arts and principles of design when the picture books were provided thoughtfully.
ISSN:0004-3125
2325-5161
DOI:10.1080/00043125.2021.1905434