Everyday Artists: Inquiry and Creativity in the Early Childhood Classroom

For the young child, art is a way of solving problems, conceptualizing the world, and creating new possibilities. Everyday Artists addresses the disconnect that exists between the teaching of art and the way young children actually experience art. In doing so, this book questions commonly held notions and opens up exciting new possibilities for art education in the early childhood classroom. A practicing teacher herself, Bentley uses vignettes of childrens everyday activitiesfrom block building to clean-up to outdoor playto help teachers identify and scaffold the genuine artistic practice of young children.

Book Features:

• Tangible examples of everyday art experiences told through lively classroom stories.
• An examination of the teachers role with suggestions of appropriate ways to support childrens artistic expression.
• Clear explanations of how inquiry and creativity contribute to the overall thinking and learning of the young child.
• A Voice of the Teacher section that offers teaching strategies for extending childrens thinking and learning.
• A wide range of ideas for teachers who feel they do not know how to do art.