Reflection #3: Art Criticism

Art criticism is the part of art that gives the piece meaning and importance.  Art criticism has various parts to it, such as depth, texture, color, and even evoke emotion.  According to Emphasis Art, "skill in art criticism can also be assessed by asking students to identify how art suggests feelings" (p. 54).
When doing art criticism in an elementary school, the teacher should not let the students' criticize their peers art, because they are at an age where they take everything seriously.  The best thing to do in this case is to showcase a piece by a famous artist, such as Picasso or Van Gogh.  They discuss the piece as a class, with you, as the teacher asking questions about the expressive qualities, balance, repetition, or unity in the piece (Colleen Madonna Williams, Art Criticism Lesson Ideas for Assemblage Sculpture Project).
Another thing that can be done to "criticize art" is to write about it.  Before fifth grade, most teachers just have their students talk about the piece.  Talking about the piece isn't necessarily bad, it's just that the student needs to learn how to write about as if they are art critics themselves (http://www1.cbsd.org/curriculum/art/pages/elementaryart.aspx).