DOCUMENT RESUME ED 340 695 SP 033 509 AUTHOR OverbY, Lynette Young, Ed.; And Others TITLE Early Childhood Creative Arts. Proceedings of the International Conference on Early Childhood Creative Arts (Los Angeles, California, December 6-9, 1990). INSTITUTION American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Reston, VA. National Dance Association. REPORT NO ISBN-0-88314-522-7 PUB DATE 91 NOTE 281p. AVAILABLE FROMAAHPERD, Publications Sales, 1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22091. PUB TYPE Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Art Education; Art Teachers; *Class Activities; *Creative Art; Cultural Awareness; Curriculum Development; *Dance Education; Dramatics; Early Childhood Education; Integrated Activities; Learning Activities; *Multicultural Education; *Music Education; Play ABSTRACT This conference focused on the central role of play and arts throughout the early childhood years, the unique learning styles of young children (ages 3-8), and children's developmental needs. Special emphasis was placed on curriculum, assessment, the essential role of the arts in learning, multicultural awareness, needs of special populations, and the interrelatedness of the arts in the learning process. The participants were early childhood and arts educators who have responsibility for designing and implementing quality educational experiences for young children. The book is organized into four major sections. Section 1, "General Sessions," provides theoretical material in the areas of curriculum development, arts assessment, and child development. The second section, "Specific Arts Instruction," contains many practical activities as well as theoretical discourses in music, art, dance, and drama. Section 3, "Model Programs," describes three well-developed arts programs. The final section, "Multicultural/International Programs," includes information about creative arts programs of various countries and a multicultural perspective for program development. (LL) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** almtallEbs. a IL AIMS- immAMIER. eassok_AdlIRA. 111111. 11.911111, /111Oll S DEPARTMENT OP EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL Offs e of I ReSelete and lmpmvemenl IN OTHER THAN PAPER COPY HAS BEEN E DOCATIONAL RE SOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERICI GRANTED BY s ad( umenl tem been moil:Altus(' as ,Eff- nrnd from the person or orpanttehon pog,natmg 4 Z Mtnce cnanges na .t. been mode fp anprove ,eproduchon quItthr Ponts of .kr* or ppinrons stated .n ms doc v TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES mem d4:1no?nPresSantyfePreSent Otht.41 OE RI posthnn or porry INFORmATION CENTER (ERIC)" zJ BEST COPY AYAIUBLE Early Childhood Creative Arts Proceedings of the International Early Childhood Creative Arts Conference Los Angeles, Californiao December 6-9, 1990 Senior Fzlitor Lynnette Young Overby Assistant Editors Ann Richardson and Lillian S. Hasko Managing Editor Luke Kahlich NATIONAL DANCE ASSOCIATION an associationof the AMERICAN ALUANCE FOR HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, RECREATION AND DANCE Dedication For the children of the world who wait with open minds and hearts. Copyright 1991 American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance 1900 Association Drive Reston, Virginia 22091 ISBN 0-88314-522-7 4 Conference Goal Statement International Early Childhood Creative Arts Conference The goal of this conference was to affirm early childhood as a time for active, self-directed learning filled with the joy of playful interaction within a rich, stimulating, stress-free environment. The conference aimed to bring together early childhood and arts educators to provide a forum for dialogue among those individuals who have responsibility for designing and implementin,g quality educational experiences for children ages three through eight. Unprecedented attention is being focused on the lives of children in contemporary society. This interest in and concern for the welfare of children is being expressed world-wide (for example, UNESCO's Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to cultural and artistic activities, and the World Summit on Children, September 1990). A primary objective of this conference was to increase awareness of aitical issues and to foster international netwcxking to seek solutions on behalf of thechildren of the world. Speakers and presenters from a variety of countries were invited to be on the program, and an open invitation to attend the conference wasextended internationally to all those individuals having an interest in the Imes which were addressed. The conference program was designed to: heighten awareness of the richness provided by cultural diversity, celebrate differences and nurture uniqueness, and provide participants with strategies for infusingmulticultural arts experiences into early childhood programs; provide knowledge of the unique developmental needs and learning styles of young children ages three to four and five to eight and models for creating environments andactivities appropriate for those age levels; increase awareness of the value of the arts in the human experience and their contributions to cognitive, affective, kinesthetic and aesthetic development; and challenge participants to reflect on the issues surrounding assessment of young children and the arts and facilitate the exploration of child-centered, child-sensitive approaches. Permeating the conference was a philosophical commitment to child-centered, holistic learning; the central role of play and the arts throughout the early childhood years; valuing and responding to the unique needs and contributions of all special populations of children; and the integral role which parents, community members, caregivers, and artistsplay in providing quality educational experiences for young children. PURPOSES OF ME AMERICAN ALUANCE FOR HEALM, PHYSICALEDUCATION, RECREATION AND DANCE The American Alliance is an educational organization, structuredfor the purposes of supporting, encouraging, and providing assistance tomember groups and their personnel throughout the nation as they neck to initiate, develop, andconduct programs in health, leisure, and movement-related activities for the enrichmentof human life. Alliance objectives include: 1. Professional growth and developmentto support, encourgeand provide guidance in the development and conduct of programs inhealth, leisure, and movement-related activities which are based on the needs, interests, and inherentcapacities of the individual in today's society. 2. Communicationto facilitate public and professionalunderstanding and appreciation of health, leisure, and movement-related activities, and todisseminate the findings to the profession and other interested and concerned publics. 4. Standards and guidelinesto further the continuousdevelopment and evaluation of standards within the profewion for personnel and programs inhealth, leisure, and movement- related activities. 5. Public affairsto coordinate and administer aplanned program of professional, public, and governmental relations that will improve educationin areas of health, leisure, and movement-related adivities. 6. To conduct such other activities as shall be approvedby the Board of Governors and the Alliance Assembly, provided that the Alliance shall not engagein any activity which would be inconsistent with the status of an educational andcharitable organization as defined in Section 501 (cX3) of the Internal Revenue Codeof 1954 or any successor provision thereto, and none of the said purposes shall at any time be deemed orconstrued to be purposes other than the public benefit purposes and objectives consistentwith such educational and charitable status. iv Table of Contents Preface, by Luke Kablicb viii Foreword, by Margie R. Hanson ix Introduction, by Lynnette Young Overby Acknowledgments xi SECTION I GENERAL SESSIONS The Arts and Development, by Barbara T. Bowman 3 She's Just Pulled the Blanket Over Her Face: The Essential Role of the 14 Creative Arts in Early Childhood, by Joyce Boorman A Developmental Approach to the Early Childhood Curriculum, 25 by Lifian G. Katz The Assessment Dilemma, by Doris 0. Smith 38 Assessment through Observation: A Profile of Developmental 44 Outcomes (Ages 5-8), by Elizabetb Jones anellane Afeacle-Robern Promising Praqices in Arts Education Assessment, by Susan W. Stinson 51 Assewment as Dialogue: Involving Students in the Assessment Process, 57 by Nancy Alison Place Three A's: Arts, Art Education, and Advocacy, by Lauren Tewes 61 SECTION II SPECIFIC ARTS INSTRUCTION 63 MUSIC Developmentally Appropriate Musical Experiences for Young Children, 65 by Bathara Andrvss Music in Early Childhood, by John M. Feierabend 74 The Magical Question of *Why? Nurturing Thinking While Enjoying 82 Music (Five- to Eight-Year-Olds), by Mary P. 1VWz Music Is Child's Play: A Developmental Approach for Kindergarten Musk, 93 by Diane Cummings Persellin Environments for Exploring Music and Dance Music, by Susan Kenney 100 Dance, by Theresa M. Pwrell 108 ART More than Movement: Scribbling Reassessed, by Patricia Tarr 112 The Care and Feeding of aay, by Karen Neubent 121 Private Rituals and Public Performances: The Social Context of Early 128 Childhood Art, by Christine M. Thompson DANCE Transforming Movement inio Dance for