Strategies
Modifications For Art Classes
Art activities have the potential to provide the student with varied sensory experiences and opportunities for developing his/her grasp. Use a neoprene strap or ponytail holder to help the student hold onto a tool if necessary.
- Hold a large paintbrush or feather for painting.
- Use a variety of sizes, shapes and textures of sponges to make:
- posters to put up around the school
- backgrounds for bulletin boards to display artwork
- details to be added by other students
- wrapping paper, greeting cards, book covers.
- Use stencils with sponge painting to create patterns, (e.g. holly and berries or hearts) along strips of paper for bulletin board borders. (Make stencils in advance out of overhead transparencies by tracing patterns with overhead marker and cutting out shapes with scissors).
- Hold a paint roller to spread glue or paint.
- Press a variety of textures (uncooked pasta, dried leaves, crumbled paper, plasticene or playdough, bubble paper, wallpaper, sandpaper) onto a surface of glue.
- Tear different kinds of paper into pieces (brown paper bags, tissue paper, wallpaper, lightweight cardboard, construction paper, newspaper ads and comics) for collages.
- Make hand prints on strips of paper for borders for bulletin board or posters.
- Hold a glue stick for pasting.
- Hold a spoon to stir a variety of textured mixtures (e.g. plaster of Paris, powdered paints, etc.).
- Mold a variety of clays, paper mache and dough.
- Hold a shaker to sprinkle coloured sand or glitter onto glue.
- Press pre-glued pre-cut shapes onto background paper.
- Hold Bingo Daubers to make a picture.
Art activities using a switch and a control unit:
- Activate electric scissors held by a partner to cut paper strips for art activities, (e.g. paper chains for tree decorations, skeleton).
- Turn on music on tape player for students to paint to, vary the mood and tempo of the music (e.g. classical, jazz or country)
- Operate a popcorn maker to make popcorn for popcorn art