NAEA Position Statement on Early Childhood Art Education
NAEA Position Statement on Early Childhood Art Education
The visual arts are essential to early learning. Young children are innately curious and eager to make sense of the world. They learn best in social contexts with peers and adults, through experiences that are holistic, interdisciplinary, and that balance instruction with emergent exploration. Through the arts, children construct knowledge in meaningful ways that support their growth as whole learners.
The visual arts support early learning by:
- Encouraging creativity, imagination, and flexible thinking.
- Enriching children’s understanding of diverse cultures and perspectives.
Developmentally appropriate and comprehensive programs should provide:
- A variety of studio experiences.
- Interactions with artists.
- Real and virtual visits to museums, galleries, and cultural institutions.
- Opportunities to respond to art through conversation and storytelling, play and dramatics, movement and music, and artmaking.
For the purposes of this document, early childhood is considered from birth to 8 years of age.
Resources
For additional information, please refer to the Position Paper on the Early Childhood Art Educators (ECAE) Interest Group Group section of the NAEA website:
Iyengar, S. (2025, February 11). Educating ourselves about childhood arts experiences—And why they matter. National Endowment for the Arts Blog. https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2025/educating-ourselves-about-childhood-arts-experiences-and-why-they-matter