Alessandro Segalini

Drawing (and painting) are used to communicate ideas, express fears, hopes and desires, demonstrate an awareness of the physical world to others and celebrate the beauty of the natural and spiritual world we live in. In addition art has many practical applications and is considered an essential skill for architects, engineers, designers, draftsmen and computer scientists. Since the time of Pestalozzi, drawing for children came to be viewed as a developmental activity closely related to the activity of handwriting, each discipline informing and enhancing the other. From the Renaissance on students learned drawing by copying the work of masters and only in the advanced stages of one’s art education was life drawing introduced. However in the modern, progressive school children are encouraged to draw from life early on, when handwriting is first learned. In addition, teachers use drawing and painting to introduce children to elementary mathematics through symmetry studies. These disciplines offer experiences that can assist children in learning to analyze, understand and demonstrate knowledge about space and about themselves and their life in Universe.