Why is getting messy and creating those lovely works of art that you can't quite give a name to important? One of the strengths of our country has always been being creative and resourceful. As we move more and more towards testing and product based projects and worksheet education in young children's programs we are creating rote learners instead of creative thinkers. If you doubted the value of process based hands on learning and the value of getting messy read this post. It is a great article by Cindy Rzasa Bess, Ph.D. a Professional Speaker/Trainer, Developmental Psychologist, Education Consultant in her November Newsletter
Art Smart from the Start
Back when I was a
little girl, I always believed that giving my parents a hand made gift was the
ultimate expression of love. I made kiddie-loomed pot holders and
clay animals; original paintings worthy of a popsicle stick frame; and, even
the ever popular orange juice can converted into a pencil
holder. When we were going through my dad’s things after his passing
I was stunned to find a drawer containing fifteen OJ can pencil
holders! He kept everyone! Apparently my belief about the
ultimate expression of love went both ways! It was a very touching
moment for me, to say the least!
Encouraging and
supporting the flow of personal creative self-expression in a young child is
one of the greatest gifts an adult can give him or her. Providing the
chance for a preschooler to dabble in the arts and try new experiences is
priceless and precious. Unleashing his or her inner creativity,
which ultimately follows its own path to self-expression, is a precious
present. Acknowledging that he or she is a wonderful and creative
individual, capable of making great things that beautify the world is a
meaningful message.
Hands-on learning
through individual creativity should be highly prized in the education
process. Refraining from demanding conformity from these young
hearts and minds is only fair at this tender age. Imagination should
be given a chance to grow, blossom, and flourish before the shackles of
compliance are clapped shut. It is okay for bears to be pink or
green; and its fine for bunnies to have five ears. It is alright for
the wheels on the bus to be square; it makes for an interesting ride. Children
have a whole lifetime to conform to societal expectations and to eventually
admit that bears are black, brown and white. Why force them to give
up their innocent, inventive, and innovative perspective in favor of the old
boring one adults share? Teachers who are in touch with their own
inner child know this truth, and do not squelch individual creative
self-expression, but instead honor it and give it space to thrive.
Children learn best
through doing. They are by nature curious little
beings. They love to try new things and explore and experience the
world, and their place in it. Jean Piaget said that young children construct
their own knowledge by interacting with their environment. They
learn by doing solving problems and experiencing their
options. There are so many places in the Early Childhood Classroom
where they can explore and experience their creative and inventive
self: The music center, the dramatic play area, the science center
and the art center. Even the block area and the fine motor small
building toys allow for the child to create new structures and discover their
ability to change the world through their action. There is nothing
greater than seeing the smile of accomplishment as it crosses a child’s
face. They know they have done something valuable and often show you
their work with pride, with the accompanying announcement of “I did it!”
How can Artistic
Self-expression be included in the ECE classroom?
· Incorporate Visual arts - drawing, painting,
sculpting (play dough), making textiles (weaving), creating collages
· Encourage Language Arts - Discuss rhyming and
create a group poem, write stories as a class, write a book of tales as a group
and add it to the book nook
· Enjoy Performing Arts – Theater (putting on a
puppet show, re-enacting a fairy tale);
Singing
(to the group or leading the group in song);
Dance
(music and movement)
Why offer Art?
Creative Art enables: Self-expression
Communication
of ideas -- without words
The
discovery of one’s self
Exploration
of the physical world and its properties
Learning
to follow directions
Acquiring
new skills, mastering and redefining them
Thinking
“Out of the Box”
Cooperation
and collaboration
Demonstration
of persistence and tenacity
Expansion
of vocabulary
Extension
of experience
But most important of
all it says to a child, you do not need someone else to provide toys and
produce special things for you, for you are capable of making them yourself to
use, play with and enjoy!
Process versus Product
Art
Believe it or not
there is a place for both in the early childhood
classroom. However the rule of thumb should be Process
Art always available, Product Art occasionally incorporated. Children
can benefit from having an activity that requires active listening and
following directions. Examples can be replicated every one in a long
while. But, these projects should be done rarely and be used as a means for
assessment. Although parents like to see the standard choo-choo train made from
colorful pre-cut paper shapes, or the duck made of glued yellow feathers come
home, it is not the best way to teach a child about art and the true creative
experience. Real art comes from within. Children should
be encouraged to be the artists that they are within their own
being. Art should not be a method for assessment. Refrain from doing
“product art” too often, after all they have a whole life time to bend to
society’s will. This is the time for active, unencumbered fun, and
self-expression.
Whenever you work with
a child, encourage imagination and creativity wherever you can. Refrain from
asking young children to conform to a preconceived idea of who they should be,
what they should be doing and encourage freedom of expression in language, in
art and in play (Of course, within limits.) When a child is allowed
to produce original work there is a greater process going on. They
are able to define their own area of interest and way of interacting with the
materials. They are able to define and develop their own plan of
action and are able to solve problems in unique ways as they happen.
When children are
encouraged to be creative in their pursuits they:
· Learn to work through
events
· Recreate things they know or situations they
have encountered
· Make sense of the bigger
world
· Grasp the importance and value of symbols
through representation
· Enhance their
self-esteem
· Increase motor skill development and refinement
· Become more
independent
· Develop new cognitive skills and learn new
concepts
· Feel more
competent
· Develop stronger social skills
· Understand qualities or properties of
materials (sticky glue, runny paint, etc.)
Also, when they are
encouraged to try new things and create something that comes from their own
brain, we are encouraging innovation and invention in later
development. When they are forced to conform to predetermined and
preconceived patterns, their own creativity is squelched.
However, children can
make their own space ships and cars from simple classroom materials, and these
can be constant reminders that they can make significant contributions to their
own world. By making children aware of their potential as creators
and producers, we empower them to break free of the consumer role that the
business community would gladly have them fill.
Please be respectful
of a child’s art work and realize the value it holds for him or her. There
is nothing sadder than to see a child deflate as a teacher writes directly on
his or her picture. If you as an adult really NEED to note it is a
picture of a house and of Mommy, do so on a post it note that can be peeled off,
rather than on the child’s actual art work. Just because you are
bigger than him or her, doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to “graffiti” his
or her work. Showing respect for a child’s efforts is vital and also
considerate. Encourage, acknowledge, and offer the chance to be creative,
constructive and productive.
Please also realize
that there are many children who are dissuaded from painting and using messy
materials in the home. If they don’t have time in the early
childhood setting to discover the different textures and tactile experiences
that come with messy art, a whole part of the self-to-be might never come to
fruition. Doing is the key to learning. Being with the
materials is the key to understanding them in relation to the self.
Hopefully when the
beautiful masterpieces come home, they are given a prized place for display and
are not relegated to the 3” deep with artwork refrigerator
museum. Nothing sends a stronger message to a young child than
to see his or her parents frame a piece of artwork and display it prominently
in the home.
