Skills Practice
As an art teacher, one of Michelle’s goal is to help students build technical skill through frequent practice. Art classes begin with a skills practice warm up that provides an opportunity for students to work on individualized goals, ranging from holding a pencil functionally to independently completing multi-step drawings. Through step-by-step demonstrations and physical prompting, students learn the basics of drawing, coloring, cutting and gluing. With frequent practice, students gain independence are able to apply the skills to their own artwork.
Drawing & Coloring Practice
Drawing and coloring practice focuses on teaching the skills necessary to create expressive drawings and paintings. Using a variety of adaptive art materials (pencil grips, thicker crayons, etc.) students practice how to control their drawing and coloring tools. They work on knowing when to move their whole hand to create a mark (i.e. drawing a large shape) versus when to move only their fingers (i.e. drawing small details). They practice how to change the direction of their strokes to color different shapes, the sequence of steps to wash a brush between paint colors, and so on.
Resources for teachers:
Cutting and Gluing Practice
Cutting and gluing skills practice focuses on teaching the skills necessary to create collages and mixed media projects. Through modeling and physical prompting with a variety of adaptive scissors, students learn how to position their arms and hands to safely cut, building hand strength and coordination over time. They practice with glue, learning the way different types behave with different materials and the amount necessary for different tasks. With practice, they become better equipped to independently make decisions for their own artwork.
Resources for teachers: