Picasso in the Preschool : Children's Development in and Through the Arts

Picasso in the Preschool: Children’s Development in and through the Arts equips future educators with the tools and knowledge needed to successfully integrate a variety of arts into the preschool classroom. The text helps readers better understand the vital connection between the arts and child development while also providing modern strategies and ideas for enhancing curriculum with various art forms. 

The text begins by speaking to the implications of children’s development in multiple domains across early childhood, namely physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Then, the text takes a deep dive into major art forms—including theatre, visual art, dance, and music—concretely linking children’s development to these specific expressions of art. Proceeding chapters focus on the development of children’s own aesthetics and their understanding of others. The book concludes with a chapter that explores the ways in which children’s development in and through the arts can be assessed to strengthen and support teaching and learning. 

Picasso in the Preschool provides future educators with a strong foundation in child development and suggestions for supporting that development through creative, artistic activities. The text is ideal for courses in early childhood development and education.

Catherine McTamaney is an associate professor of the practice in teaching and learning at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. She is the author of The Tao of Montessori and A Delicate Task, as well as a noted Montessori lecturer across the U.S. and abroad. Dr. McTamaney earned her master’s degree in education with specialization in early childhood education and her doctoral degree in education with specialization in K-12 school administration from Vanderbilt University. She also holds a Montessori Primary Diploma from the Princeton Center for Teacher Education.