ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I draw from data generated in a first-grade classroom situated within an urban elementary school in the Midwestern United States. Framed as an exploratory study, with the focal teacher, I engaged children in identifying elements of the visual arts (e.g., lines, shapes, and colors) before asking them to listen for the soundscapes of their schooling. Thus, I first situate my study in relation to previous (visual) arts-based research in early childhood before outlining how the inquiry was informed by sound studies. Next, I detail the focal text used to introduce visual design to children before describing the pedagogic processes used to help young children learn to ‘read’ the lines, shapes, and colors of school spaces. In turn, I highlight how these lessons later facilitated children’s ability to hear and record ambient soundscapes in their school community, detailing their process and products. In closing, I share how children used the visual in meaningful ways to map the sonic geographies of their schooling and invite adults to think critically about how the arts might be infused throughout early childhood learning.
