By clearly setting out the development of drawing skills from the beginning, offering guidance on progression in learning and providing ideas to support classroom activities, this book is clearly what busy primary teachers need. --David Chaplin, Lead Advisor, Devon Curriculum Services
This book, the first in an award winning series, contains many examples developed through collaborative work across the number of primary schools in Devon. It become clear during this work, says Fabian, that teachers needed the guidance and encouragement of a subject specialist and this is what the book is intended to provide. It sets out the development of drawing skills from the beginning and offers guidance on progression in learning and provides ideas to support classroom activities. It is designed to be easily accessible. Teachers can glance at a page, read the title, look at an example of pupils work and know what to do without necessarily reading the text. --Start (magazine published by National Society for Education in Art and Design)
I think this is going to be a really useful resource for teachers. I like the format in particular the emphasis on key skills and the way they are introduced, revisited and consolidated. Teachers lacking confidence in art and design (and that's probably the majority in primary schools) will be able to use the activities off-the-peg or adapt them to suit their needs and will decide for themselves whether to work through them sequentially or pick and choose. I think they'll also find the suggested introductions very helpful. I've never been particularly keen to promote books which simply outline lesson after lesson, but this has a clear rationale and those teachers who take the time to read the explanations (in addition to simply using the ideas) will begin to understand and appreciate the need for progressive skills teaching. It's plainly written in a way that will be accessible to most teachers. --Judy Grahame, Consultant for Art and Design
Drawing is a Class Act is aimed at supporting non-specialist art teachers at Key Stage 1 (5-7 year olds), but more experienced art teachers will find it useful too. It is one of a series of three books providing a structured approach to the development of drawing skills. Using a skills-based approach to teaching drawing will raise standards in art and more importantly, pupils' self-esteem and confidence, which in turn will help promote high standards iin other curriculum areas.
The book:
- Sets out clearly the progression of skills to be taught
- Gives examples of how the skills can be applied
- Contains carefully planned, clearly laid-out lesson plans
- Provides examples of pupils' artwork for every lesson
- Covers all of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study related to drawing
Winner of Best Curriculum Material in the Global Learning Initiative Awards at Bologna Children's Book Fair 2006.
The Drawing is a Class Act series links well to the 2014 National Curriculum for Art and Design. It provides a coherent structure for ensuring that pupils at Key Stage 1 and 2:
- learn to use drawing and painting to explore their ideas and record their experiences
- become proficient in painting and drawing
- develop the ability to use the language of art to evaluate and analyse creative works
- know about great artists and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms