ABSTRACT
A foundational research assumption for this project is that the combination of
open-ended-art and structured-art will enhance the development of the kindergartener. In
today’s standards driven classroom environment, art is often overlooked in place of text
based curriculum. The idea of this project is to blend two approaches to teaching art and
intertwine this approach into the rigorous daily curriculum. The deficits in each approach
will be covered by the other, thereby providing opportunity for all students to reap the
benefits. The purpose of this endeavor is to determine the positive and negative effects of
blended-art, a combination of open-ended-art and structured-art, at the kindergarten level.
The purpose of this study is to determine the best way to incorporate art into the
kindergarten classroom. Intertwining art into kindergarten curriculum is crucial, but what
is the best approach? The literature and surveys researched for this study suggests that
there is room for improvement in the best practice approach for integrating art with
curriculum in kindergarten, establishes why art is important in the classroom, what
methods are currently used to incorporate art in the kindergarten classroom, and why the
blended method is the best practice.