When you visit our school, you will see children creating in the art room. This room is popular with our students, and they are fascinated by the work they can do. Here, we have a variety of materials and tools to create and appreciate art.

Although the primary goal of the art room is to develop an interest in art, many kinds of learning are also taking place. As your child uses art materials and tools, he or she develops fine motor coordination and visual discrimination. Because this subject requires hands-on learning, I ask that they wear a smock or a big shirt to help protect their clothing. If that is not possible, washable every-day clothes is best.

Remember to display and talk about the artwork your child brings home. They love to have their work appreciated.

All art lessons are based on Tennessee's Curriculum Guidelines for Visual Arts, which can be seen here: http://tennessee.gov/education/ci/curriculum.shtml.  Depending on your child's grade level, a variety of different approaches are used to teach the curriculum.

Throughout the year, all students are given endless opportunities to grow in six fundamental areas in the Visual Arts.

• Cognition
  -Developing Symbols
  -Solving Problems
  -Making Decisions
• The Arts
  -Creating Art
  -Appreciating Artwork
  -Understanding Elements and Principles of Design
• Motor Development
  -Using Tools
  -Using Fine Motor Skills
  -Manipulating Art Materials by Cutting, Tearing, Gluing, etc.
• Social/Emotional Connections
  -Valuing Our Own Work
  -Appreciating Artwork of Others
  -Making Choices
• Language
  -Expanding Vocabulary
  -Describing Art Work
  -Reading About Art
• Sensory Development
  -Using a Variety of Art Tools
  -Manipulating Art Materials
  -Experience the Tactile Aspect of Art Making