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Meet the Masters
Grade Level Characteristics
PRE-K and KINDERGARTEN (and PRE-1st GRADE):
Sensitive awareness in young children is an evolving process. This awareness is the result of continuous aesthetic guidance by the teacher.
Appreciation includes understanding as well as enjoyment of tasteful creative works.
The goal is to guide children to discover, select, and use items of good functional and decorative quality.
It is also important for children to experience the joy of creating.
Children should become sensitive to the similarities as well as the differences in the world around them.
Looking at paintings will help children develop an awareness of shapes and colors:
As red as a fire truck As rough as tree bark
As yellow as a lemon As smooth as a kittens back
As blue as the sky As soft as snow
FIRST GRADE:
The first grade children are curious about the environment around them.
They develop appreciation as they discover, explore, and become sensitive to this visual and tactile world.
They become more aware of the color, line, form and feel of objects.
They enjoy looking at storybook pictures.
They learn to listen and notice.
SECOND GRADE:
As children mature mentally and physically, the teacher guides their natural curiosity.
In addition, the teacher helps them discover, explore, watch and make selections.
They become more aware of the beauty around them.
Point out curved and straight lines.
Encourage children to make comparisons.
THIRD GRADE:
The children will grow in appreciation by:
Increased use of senses to learn about and to enjoy the world around them.
Developing sensitivity to everything - noticing everything.
Increased awareness of the beauty about them.
Noticing color, line, and form both in nature and in buildings and other man-made forms.
Understanding of the color in dress, in nature, in the room and in the school.
Growing appreciation of their own creations and the art expressions of others.
FOURTH GRADE:
Appreciation evolves from direct experience, working critically, thoughtfully and discriminatingly. Children must understand line, form, shape, color and texture.
They learn to select, reject, enjoy, and use these elements of art.
Through knowledge of organization and arrangement, the child will enjoy being in an orderly environment.
They can realize that people have made use of their art.
Children continue to develop awareness to the beauty about them:
In the design of space: plantings in parks, grouping of buildings and windows.
In the use of line: wires crisscrossing, curbing, sidewalks, and trees against the sky.
In nature: curve of a shell, veins in a leaf, symmetric design of a butterfly.
In the use of colors and textures: in their clothing, fabrics and materials they see, and in the
environment.
FIFTH GRADE:
Genuine art appreciation is emotional as well as intellectual.
Sensitivity is gained by learning to judge, decide and test.
An awareness of color combined with texture, such as rocks, bark, fabrics.
A response to light and dark, lines and shapes, natural and man-made forms.
A sensitivity to sound and touch in relation to line, color and rhythm.
An understanding of various types and ways of painting and materials used.
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