The arts have an essential place in preschool education. The developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) framework recognizes the arts as part of a comprehensive curriculum. This includes planning and carrying out experiences that integrate art, music, dance, and more.

No matter your own skills in the arts, this issue of TYC has ideas for you! You’ll read about what process art is in “What Will We Make? Using Process Art to Spark Preschoolers’ Development,” which is accompanied by a Message in a Backpack™ to share with families. Authors outline specific ways to integrate art into other learning areas in “Beyond the Art Center: How Prop Making Merges Art and Make-Believe Play” and “The Beauty of Words: Integrating Art and Vocabulary in the Preschool Setting.”

Not to be missed are pieces on “What Do You See? Including Art Appreciation in Early Childhood” and “Using Music in Your Setting: Tips for the Nonmusician.” Completing this theme, educators reflect on arts across the curriculum, in “Penguins, Chicks, and Caves: Journal Notes on Moving from STEM to STEAM,” and in connection to DAP, in “A Scribble Is Never Just a Scribble: Art, Story, and Process.”

Reflection Questions for This Issue

1. What do the arts mean to you personally and professionally?
2. How do children respond during arts experiences in your setting? How might they respond to the activities mentioned in this issue?
3. The articles focus primarily on visual arts and music. The arts also include dance, theater, and media arts. How do you address each of the arts disciplines?