The Language of Art: Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings

This book is a must have for anyone wanting to deepen children's learning through art! Learn how to create a studio space for children to become competent creators with real art materials so their ideas can come to life. Pelo sets the stage for teaching young children how to use art materials, first as sensory explorations and then building skills so they can use them to represent their ideas. This is one of the best books available about making the philosophies of Reggio Emilia come alive in your classroom. While it was written for 3-5yr old teachers, I have found the principles and techniques in this book work very well with older elementary students with minimal alterations. Go beyond cookie cutter cutesy art projects and help children truly use art as a tool for thinking!

This book will change how you view the role of art in your classroom! It shows you how to move children from initial explorations of various art media to using art as a tool for communication and critical thinking. I am an early childhood educator and this book is one of my all-time favorite resources.The first five chapters provide detailed instructions for setting up a wide variety of open-ended art experiences for children. The final three chapters show you how to use art as a tool to promote critical thinking (i.e., higher-order thinking). And these final chapters are my favorite. They describe Reggio-inspired principles that help you grow a culture of inquiry in your classroom!I appreciate that each principle is coupled with classroom examples to both instruct and inspire. The examples show how children use art to communicate (make their thinking visible), build relationships, and deepen or extend their learning about science and other topics. Considerable attention is given to the integration of science and the arts. Because art (like science) invites children to look closely, ask questions, and reflect about one's thinking.Something I found especially helpful was the "teacher talk" interspersed throughout the book (italicized and in bold). This helped me learn how to speak to my students during the art/science process, giving me the words I needed to instruct about technique or giving me the questions I could ask to promote critical thinking.I loved that the classroom examples also showed an emergent curriculum in action, with long-term investigations that honor the child's learning cycle. My wish is that every child could experience art and inquiry-based science in this way. If you are an early childhood educator, I hope you get a chance to read this book!

I haven't read through the entire book yet, but I'm already impressed and wanted to review before I forget. I'm an art therapist working with (about) 6-12 year olds in a mental health setting, venturing into some additional work with younger children in a Reggio-inspired school setting. When I came upon this book, I was looking for guidance in introducing art as a learning tool, while staying true to the foundations of art therapy as a discipline and holding onto my own principles of using art to connect to others. This book is such a perfect balance and filled with what I needed. I am so happy to have found it, regardless of this shift in my work adventures. The tenets of Pelo's writing are some of my own personal mantras in working with art&children, and clearly we are coming from the same place of whole-, open-, and pure-hearted love for this work. Thank you so much for your guidance and wisdom!

Pelo's book is fantastic for teachers and parents interested in the Reggio approach and emergent learning. The pictures are beautiful to look at and the text is clearly presented. Not being a visual artist I as able to clearly understand how a trained artist would present materials to children in a highly artistic and meaningful way. This book inspired me on my own journey into understanding how emergent musical experiences for children could be explained a way similar to Pelo's beautiful presentation. Get this book if you want the children you interact with to have a true artistic education in the language of art!

Excellent purchase, great packaging, good condition thru the shipping process - great book for art student/teacher that is working with children and others

This guide has helped me revamp my art center in my classroom.

Great price, and fast delivery!

Will keep book for future reference, helped me A# the class. Better price here than in college book store. Nice illustrations.