The Arts and Meaning-Making with Children

Susan Wright (University of Melbourne)

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Paperback

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English

Cambridge University Press
25 September 2025

Art & Architecture; Educational strategies & policy; Pre-school & kindergarten; Health & Self-Help

Quality arts education delivered in early childhood has a positive impact on children's early development and learning. The Arts and Meaning-Making with Children focuses on arts in early childhood through the lenses of 'play' and 'meaning making'. Examples of creative arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, movement, music, dramatising and storytelling are provided alongside theoretical principles, to showcase how children can express ideas and make meaning from early ages. Each chapter includes case studies, examples of arts-based research, links to the EYLF guidelines, and end-of-chapter questions and activities to engage students and help them reflect on the content. Suggested adaptations for younger and older children are also included. Written by experienced educators, artists and academics, The Arts and Meaning-Making with Children offers a focused, in-depth exploration of the arts in early childhood and is an essential resource for pre-service and in-service educators.

Edited by: Susan Wright (University of Melbourne)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 203mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 640g
ISBN: 9781009470544
ISBN 10: 100947054X
Pages: 262
Publication Date: 25 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Susan Wright (Ph.D.) is Honorary Professor at the University of Melbourne, where she was formerly the Chair of Arts Education, Director of studioFive UNESCO Observatory of Arts Education and member of the UNITWIN international consortium of arts education research. She also previously held positions at the National Institute of Education (Singapore) and Queensland University of Technology (Brisbane). Susan's research and teaching interests are in early childhood arts education, with a particular focus on semiosis, multimodality and arts-based praxis. Her desire to foreground the voices of young children underpins her evidence-based exemplars of quality arts-based research, pedagogy and learning. Through video documentation and multimodal transcripts, she illustrates how children create, communicate and interpret signs using six broad meaning-making modes: linguistic, audio, spatial, oral, visual and gestural. Children's visual-spatial imagery, embodiment, narration and theorising often include metaphor, analogy, allegory and symbolism. Susan advocates for the nurturance of such creative expression throughout lifelong learning.