Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the improvement in descriptive vocabulary of preschool children as a result of lessons that focused on the physical properties of clay. During a six-lesson art-science unit, four and five year old children used familiar artificial clay, unfamiliar modeling clay, mud, and natural potter's clay to experiment with different techniques and to make a pinch pot, which they subsequently glazed and had fired. Throughout the lessons, descriptive vocabulary was repeatedly modeled and reinforced. Two pretest-posttest instruments were administered. Students improved in demonstrating targeted vocabulary words (e.g. pinch, bend, coil, flat) with a mean of 50% of the students demonstrating each of the sixteen words correctly on the pretest compared to 81% on the posttest. Students were also assessed on vocabulary used as they verbally described wet and dry natural clay samples and unglazed and glazed ceramic pieces. Again, students showed a significant increase in speaking vocabulary. However, passive and observational tasks, requiring little or no use of language and vocabulary, revealed minimal acquisition of targeted vocabulary.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
