Start with the Arts© is an early childhood educational program that uses arts-based learning to support literacy and to facilitate full inclusion for preschool age children with disabilities. Fifty-four lessons offer theme-based activities drawing from the visual arts, drama, dance and movement, music, and literature. Adaptations described for each lesson ensure that every child will participate fully, regardless of his or her particular abilities or learning style.
Start with the Arts© learning experiences bridge the child's school and home lives by emphasizing activities that the child can do with his or her family. The Start with the Arts© instructional materials have been translated into Spanish, making them a highly effective tool for advancing arts-based, inclusive early childhood learning in diverse settings.
Express Diversity! © provides elementary and secondary teachers and service providers with a resource for teaching disability awareness through the arts. The resource guide is composed of arts-based activities related to the following disability topics:
- Introduction to Disability
- People-First Language
- Communities for Everyone
- Important Contributions
- Inventions for Independent Living
These topics are organized into five modules that include lesson plans with extension activities, parents’ pages, a glossary of relevant terms, and stories about people with disabilities. Teachers, students, and families are using this tool to conduct an exploration of disability while promoting inclusion, fostering communication skills, and enhancing personal growth.
VSA arts’ Disability Awareness Guide
Access and Opportunities: A Guide to Disability Awareness
The VSA arts' Disability Awareness Guide was prepared by VSA arts as an informational tool for those who want to gain additional knowledge about disability and tips for social etiquette and positive interactions. When the first edition of the guide was printed in 1992, it instantly became VSA arts’ most frequently requested publication. Artists, educators and others found it to be a valuable resource in beginning their understanding of people with disabilities.
Additional Resources
Visit http://www.vsarts.org/x101.xml for more resources available to educators, artists and parents.
