Young at Art : Teaching Toddlers Self-Expression, Problem-Solving Skills, and an Appreciation for Art

Rating:
Summary: You Must Read This If you Have (or will have) a Toddler
Review: I just read this book yesterday and it really enlightened me to the reality that even though my daughter is just 20 months, she is starving for self-expression! It makes sense... she can't make noun-verb sentences, has a limited vocabulary, and I'm one of the only people who understands her struggled attempts at communication. So that's why she's been coloring all over the wallpaper!
This book was great for me since I am artistically illiterate. I have had almost NO art education, and I don't know the first thing about how to teach ANYTHING to ANYONE. This book has simple, easy steps that I can follow... dumb things that I wouldn't know unless someone told me, like, Give your child one crayon at a time so she doesn't get overwhelmed.
The other thing I liked about this book is that the author is sensitive to the reality that many of us may not have a large budget to spend on art supplies. I went to the craft store and bought everything I think I need to get started... crayons, paint, brushes, play-doh, I even splurged and got the 80-weight paper like Striker suggested... and spent less than EIGHTEEN DOLLARS!!

Rating:
Summary: You Must Read This If you Have (or will have) a Toddler
Review: I just read this book yesterday and it really enlightened me to the reality that even though my daughter is just 20 months, she is starving for self-expression! It makes sense... she can't make noun-verb sentences, has a limited vocabulary, and I'm one of the only people who understands her struggled attempts at communication. So that's why she's been coloring all over the wallpaper!
This book was great for me since I am artistically illiterate. I have had almost NO art education, and I don't know the first thing about how to teach ANYTHING to ANYONE. This book has simple, easy steps that I can follow... dumb things that I wouldn't know unless someone told me, like, Give your child one crayon at a time so she doesn't get overwhelmed.
The other thing I liked about this book is that the author is sensitive to the reality that many of us may not have a large budget to spend on art supplies. I went to the craft store and bought everything I think I need to get started... crayons, paint, brushes, play-doh, I even splurged and got the 80-weight paper like Striker suggested... and spent less than EIGHTEEN DOLLARS!!

Rating:
Summary: Parents of toddlers NEED this book!!!!!!
Review: I think this book is so important, it has so much info in it that I just didn't know. There are a lot of things I was doing that are actually the wrong thing to do, and I consider myself a pretty intelligent, well-read mom! Who knew I shouldn't offer her a huge box of crayons, or draw with her, or tell her that her drawing looks like a house?? Who knew she should have access to painting every day if possible? Who knew how directly early scribbling relates to later reading and writing competence? Please get this book. It's a revelation.

Rating:
Summary: Parents of toddlers NEED this book!!!!!!
Review: I think this book is so important, it has so much info in it that I just didn't know. There are a lot of things I was doing that are actually the wrong thing to do, and I consider myself a pretty intelligent, well-read mom! Who knew I shouldn't offer her a huge box of crayons, or draw with her, or tell her that her drawing looks like a house?? Who knew she should have access to painting every day if possible? Who knew how directly early scribbling relates to later reading and writing competence? Please get this book. It's a revelation.

Rating:
Summary: Enlightening.
Review: I wish I had had this book when my child was two. It guides the reader through the mysterious world of children's art. Basically, Striker explains that preschool children should not be "taught" art; rather, they should be allowed to experiment avidly with art materials. When given the opportunity, children use art materials to express themselves and pass through stages of mark-making that are vital to later reading and writing skills. My only complaint about this book is that Striker makes such a strong case against interfering with the natural learning process by, for example, suggesting imagery or otherwise rushing a child into the next stage of development, that it is guilt-inspiring for those of us who made some of these mistakes in the past. However, she gives the reader many concrete suggestions for appropriate art activities so that we can make up for lost time. They include the five basic art techniques: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and collage. The author explains how these mediums can be presented so as to promote the child's own discovery process. This is a very valuable book for parents, care takers, and educators.