Customer Reviews

Art Is Fundamental: Teaching the Elements and Principles of Art in Elementary School

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have mixed feelings about this book and perhaps most of my criticisms are more to do with our particular needs as homeschoolers with me, having been trained in art myself, as the teacher.

First, I love the fact that this book breaks down the fundamental elements and principles of art and goes through them systematically. That is foundational to teaching art and it is exactly what I was looking for when I was searching for an art curriculum. A child (or adult, for that matter), must have an understanding of what makes art "good"...the "ingredients", so to speak. Also, each element and principle comprises one unit, with a number of projects related to it to help the child grasp the concept. However, the lessons are drawn out over three years. This is, in part, due to the fact that a classroom full of students requires much more time, since much of it is spent in preparation, clean-up, crowd-control, etc. I am finding, as I use this with my kids in our homeschool, that the lessons just are not "full" enough and we have sometimes combined lessons to make art class last longer.

Also, I don't particularly like being told exactly what to say at what point. I like to be given a general outline or structure of what it is I should be trying to accomplish and then be allowed some flexibility in that. I feel that when I follow the lessons as written, it comes across very contrived. I am actually starting to ignore the detailed step-by-step, "first say __, then explain __...", type of instruction and substituting my own thoughts and instructions. This may be partially due to the fact that I already understand the subject matter. So, that said, it may be very helpful to someone with absolutely no art training to be told explicitly what to say and when.

Finally, being an artist, I am very visual. If you are like me, you will be disappointed with the plain format and minimal (mostly black and white) pictures. While there is a section near the end that has color photos of some of the completed art projects, I would find it far more helpful if there was at least one for each project and they were integrated into the rest of the book with each project.

Overall, this book has been okay for filling my needs as a homeschooling mom. However, I will likely switch to something new when I can afford to. I am seriously considering the posters, DVD, and guides called "Elements and Principles of Design" from DickBlick.com (www.dickblick.com/products/elements-and-principles-of-design/#description). They look like they would be what I am searching for.

As a formally trained artist this book provided me with great ideas, lessons, and a fantastic format for teaching art. I do not have an education background, so this book helped me understand how to structure my class to get the most out of my students and the projects.

The lessons were easy to understand, and had plenty of visual aids. I think artists and educators from many backgrounds would find this book to be a valuable resource.

This book offers more then just great lessons, it offers an entire challenging curricula for grades 1-3 for the entire year. This book would be great for new elementary art teachers. I also love the hints and advice the author relays as well as the explainations regarding the structure of her art program.

An excellent book: easy to read and understand, great ideas and arts philosophy.
The book is loaded with many very usable lessons, well defined learning objectives. Strong emphasis on the inclusion of curriculum and the arts as a double benefit for learning.
I would certainly recommend this book for all elementary teachers.

Excellent resource, well written, informative
Great ideas presented simply, easily adaptable to all levels
Provides clear examples and clarifications of relevant vocabulary and concepts

I bought this book to homeschool my 5th grade son. He has never liked doing arts or crafts. His fine motor skills are not the greatest. Art immediately became his favorite subject! The lessons are well explained and include viewing popular artwork, art terminology and simple instructions that can allow the child to be confident in their own artwork.
I am so happy with this book, I am planning to teach these lessons to other children so they can experience the same joy and confidence. It is so rewarding to watch my son develop his own artistic style.

This book looks to be a very organized curriculum for art education in the elementary years. I can't wait to try it out next fall!

I bought this book for my son who is a very good art teacher and he loves it.. The information helped him with his art planning. He teaches kindergarten thru 6th grade. I liked the price too and will be purchasing more art books from Amazon.

Art Is Fundamental is a Must-Have for anyone who teaches Art at the elementary school level. Everything you want to know about teaching Art to children but were afraid to ask! This book is helpful for the "just getting started" teacher to the "seasoned" teacher.

My husband is a big fan of the book. I just didn't realize he already had this book :( He will pass on the book and its good information to another art teacher.