ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how contemporary and established theories have shaped professors' and students' understanding of artistic development and provides a foundation for identifying children’s normative behaviors. It also explains artistic development and its leading concepts and summarizes characteristics of whole-child development in early childhood, middle childhood, early adolescence, and adolescence. The chapter aims to apply development theories to guide choice-based art curriculum design, instruction, and assessments. Teachers guide students in their development from early childhood to adolescence by espousing effective instructional methods, a choice-based art curriculum, and ongoing assessments so that they can become visually literate practitioners. Professional artists are qualified experts in identifying the nature of artistic development and can broaden psychologists’ and educators’ perspectives on children’s artistic development. Sociocultural learning strengthens children’s development because children acquire knowledge and social skills by interacting and sharing with others. During early adolescence students are undergoing vast changes in their physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
