Information on Use of Specific Art Media With Young Children
The visual arts encompass an all-encompassing range of visual modes that children utilise for expressing, communicating, mediating their thinking, engaging in aesthetic exploration and research. What is defined as visual arts is shaped by cultural and social values. Some common examples include painting, clay work, sculpture, collage, weaving, construction, photography, wearable fine art, carving, printing and ephemera, although there are many more modes of visual expression and exploration.
How do the visual arts support children's learning?
Thinking of the visual arts in early on childhood education tin can initially evoke an epitome of a child standing at an easel, thick stubby paintbrush in paw with bright acrylic affiche pigment spreading quickly across the page. Yet, inquiry has shown the visual arts to be a rich domain through which young children can explore and represent their experiences, call up through and deepen their working theories, and develop their creative thinking. Information technology is through the visual arts that children learn almost the symbolic systems of representation and communication valued past their communities. The visual arts support children's learning in a number of ways:
- Facilitating communication
For pre-literate children, the visual arts are a master means through which they tin can explore and share their perceptions of their world. The visual arts tin can assist children to communicate ideas that cannot be expressed verbally ,which is especially important for children with English as a 2d language. The meanings of children'south art works are not ever obvious but, in some cases, the act of creating art can encourage children to talk as they work. When this occurs, both the artwork and the dialogue that occurs alongside are every bit important in helping teachers to better empathize the child's thinking[i].
The visual arts also back up children to communicate with each other, particularly when teachers create opportunities for them to work on shared projects or to explore common interests together. Such opportunities encourage children to commutation ideas, consider solutions and develop shared meanings through collaboration. These experiences may also encourage children to develop their verbal language[two].
- Mediating thinking
Researchers have built upon Vygotsky's theory that language acts every bit a tool to mediate thinking to suggest that visual arts could piece of work in a like way and found that children's visual representations are more closely connected to thought than verbal linguistic communication is[iii]. When children create visual arts in groups, the act of representing thinking visually allows them to share their ideas with others. This supports them to transform their understandings through co-construction. In such an surround, children can attempt out new ideas as well every bit strategies for working with visual media, inspired past their peers, which they internalise and then draw upon later in unlike contexts. In this way, the visual arts support children to develop their metacognitive capacities.
- Developing an appreciation for diverse points of view
A wonderful aspect of the visual arts is that at that place is never one right answer. The visual arts offering multiple solutions to a problem or means that an thought can be expressed. When children take opportunities to view each other creating visual arts, and to talk well-nigh the ideas they are exploring through their fine art, they tin can develop an appreciation for different perspectives and an understanding that knowledge is subjective, that there is no i 'truth' or correct answer.
- D eveloping cultural noesis and fostering identity formation
Researchers also affirm that the visual arts, alongside other arts domains, are a primary means through which cultural identity and associated values are shared with young children[four], and fence that it is important that teachers develop understanding of how the visual arts are valued past families and communities every bit a basis for creating culturally responsive visual arts curriculum[five]. For children, experiencing the visual arts valued by their cultures within their early on childhood settings can transmit powerful letters virtually how they and their families are valued. Information technology is also vital that children are exposed to many different examples of the visual arts so that they tin can develop an appreciation of a range of culturally diverse art forms within their early on years. This can be achieved by connecting with local customs organisations such as galleries, artist studios and important cultural sites like the local marae.
- Promoting creativity and imagination
The visual arts allow children to enter imaginative worlds, to exist creative and to appoint in playful thinking. Developing children's imaginations is of import for learning to prove empathy for others. Creativity is the capacity to develop unique ideas and solutions that are of value. The visual arts invite experimentation and exploration, and every bit such, support the development of creativity and what has been described as 'possibility thinking'[vi]. Fostering possibility thinking develops primal dispositions of learning such as trouble solving, perseverance, collaboration and seeking support from others[vii].
- Exploring aesthetics and the language of art
For some children, visual arts are a ways to explore colour, texture and the possibilities of visual media. These children savor opportunities to develop skills and techniques. Inquiry has highlighted how important it is that children take opportunities to conceptualise their own art making in addition to opportunities to create in group contexts[viii]. This allows them the infinite to immerse themselves in aesthetic exploration should they wish.
- Developing critical literacy
Teaching children to interpret or 'read' visual modes of advice is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century equally children are constantly exposed to visual texts and multimodal texts[ix]. Multimodal texts are those that include two or more ways of conveying messages, such as combining text and epitome. Some researchers debate that it is crucial that teachers talk with children well-nigh the images they run across in their everyday environment, discussing how meanings have been conveyed by the artist or illustrator[x]. This helps children to sympathise that images, like stories, are constructed and that they communicate letters. This is the start step in developing the ability to critically analyse visual texts, a vital skill in a earth saturated by images. Talking with children about images also allows them to understand that they too, have the chapters to create images, to communicate ideas to others, or to explore ideas for themselves.
- Offering emotional support
For some children, artmaking is their main ways of processing their experiences. For these children, engagement in visual arts tin can impact their emotional wellbeing, allowing them transition into the day, or into a new middle environment. Research has likewise institute that fine art making has the potential to significantly reduce stress levels[xi]: it is of import for children to have access to tools for art making throughout the day and particularly in the morning equally a means to support these children to settle into the day.
Why is the teacher's office so of import in supporting and facilitating visual arts experiences?
Teachers play pivotal roles in how children experience the visual arts in early childhood. This is because it is teachers who create the classroom environment, who determine what visual arts materials are available and when, and who choose where and when children will engage in the visual arts. Currently, teachers' practices in the visual arts vary greatly. In New Zealand, teachers often have widely unlike views nigh how visual arts should be taught in the early on years. This can make it hard to understand what is appropriate and when.
Some teachers believe in a hands-off approach. Teachers who advocate for this arroyo can be informed by the belief that the child is innately creative. They believe their function is to provide the materials and a supportive surroundings simply that the children can do information technology themselves. They perceive adult interference to negatively touch on the kid's creativity. Critique of this arroyo argues that sociocultural theories have helped united states of america to empathise that children are in fact influenced by everything, their relationships, their surround, their culture and the materials with which they interact. These theories highlight that learning is a social experience: therefore, to create in isolation without feedback, discussion and interaction hinders artist evolution[xii]. In fact, children crave interaction, feedback and word about their ideas, creations and interests.
In contrast, a teacher-directed approach is condign increasingly adopted by some early childhood teachers[xiii]. In these cases, teachers plan prefabricated activities for children that are frequently inspired by websites such equally Pinterest. This is the kind of artwork where it can be hard to differentiate one kid's work from another. Such activities can feel 'safety' for teachers because there are no surprises and they can control the outcome. Nevertheless, too many teacher-directed experiences can negatively bear on children's self-efficacy in the arts and they tin become reliant on the teacher for guidance and pedagogy[xiv].
A lack of personal confidence in visual arts may be one factor that prompts teachers to adopt a teacher-directed approach. Research has shown that a lack of cocky-efficacy in the arts often begins within ane'southward own schooling experiences[15]. Many teachers, when prompted, can trace dorsum to the moment in their lives when a teacher or important role model criticised, over-directed or controlled their artmaking[xvi]. The outcome of such negative experiences can mean that teachers tin can avoid any further learning in the visual arts and can experience feet when thinking about planning for the visual arts as part of their own teaching.
These two approaches offer either too little or also much guidance from teachers. When teachers adopt a more moderately guided approach to supporting children's artmaking, they co-construct understanding with children through visual media and support children to develop skills and confidence to use the visual arts as a tool for learning whist also maintaining children's agency every bit capable and confident learners.
How teachers can build their confidence to plan and implement a rich visual arts curriculum
In that location are several ways that teachers can build their personal conviction and pedagogical knowledge to teach the visual arts in the early years. An important starting point is self-reflection. This could be a personal journey or office of a shared centre-broad enquiry. Reflecting about personal history with the visual arts can enable teachers to identify when and how their conviction was lost in the kickoff place. There is real value in sharing the memories of these experiences within teaching teams. This can be an constructive strategy for building a shared philosophy of the visual arts by deciding together how the visual arts could be valued and woven into the curriculum. It is also important to have these discussions with families. Asking how the visual arts are valued in children'south homes and cultures and inviting parents and caregivers with visual arts expertise to spend fourth dimension sharing their knowledge with the children (and teachers) can serve to strengthen partnerships and actively embrace multiple perspectives concerning how the visual arts tin be valued.
It is vital that teachers have both applied and pedagogical cognition of the visual arts. There is keen value in playing with visual arts materials before offer them to children. Teachers could sign up to an evening class or organise a professional person learning result in social club to develop new techniques or understandings of unlike fine art genres. It is much easier to support children's art making when you tin truly empathise with the challenges of working with different media. Teachers can then engage in authentic conversations with children most fine art making, which many children bask[xvii]. The same can be said for pedagogical knowledge. Professional person development that develops theoretical agreement of the impacts of different teaching approaches is some other vehicle through which teachers tin can examine and perhaps reframe how they view children as learners. This in turn fundamentally impacts how they respond as teachers.
How teachers can contain the visual arts into their practise
There are a number of strategies and practices that teachers tin utilise to support and promote children's experiences of the visual arts in their practise.
- Spend some time in your heart thinking about what your visual arts surround and the materials you offer communicate to children and families about how your centre values the visual arts. Consider whether this is in alignment with your centre's overarching philosophy.
- If y'all decide you want to change or increase the kinds of materials yous offer, consider what tin can exist sourced for free. Rich visual arts materials don't necessarily have to cost anything. Natural materials can be thoughtfully collected for ephemeral art. Recycled materials tin be arranged aesthetically for children to create three dimensional sculptures.
- If you don't have a dedicated infinite for visual arts making already, recall about creating 1. This can be as simple as moving the piece of furniture around. In that location are meaning impacts on children's capacity to be creative for sustained periods of time when they have a dedicated space for fine art making[xviii].
- Call up nearly placing visual arts materials in other spaces throughout your middle: for example clipboards, newspaper and pencils in the construction area can invite children to plan their work, evaluate its success and, after a construction is completed, remember how information technology was created.
- Invite children to create visual arts in groups based on their personal or shared interests. Stay with them, asking questions and documenting their work and responses (with their permission). Documenting children'due south visual arts is 1 style yous tin can recognise and assert this is a domain that is valued.
- Talk to children almost their artwork, create opportunities for substitution and discussion among children.
- Requite children opportunities to revisit their piece of work. Save artwork till the next day and invite children to evaluate their piece of work and determine if they would similar to proceed to work on information technology.
- Try not to put too much emphasis on representation. Children utilise a range of modes for exploration through the visual arts. It is easy to assume they are representing 'something' but often it can be that they are engaged in aesthetic exploration instead.
- Ensure the aforementioned materials are available for children each day. It can exist useful to imagine the visual arts as a verbal language. To learn a language, yous have to practise and practise. The visual arts require similar dedication and determination. If we want children to become proficient visual arts makers, nosotros shouldn't modify the language daily[19]. Keep materials like graphite pencils out all of the fourth dimension. Think virtually creating a dedicated dirt workshop or a print making station with space for work to exist stored until the next day.
- Finally, don't feel afraid to create aslope children. Although you probably won't create a masterpiece when the children you lot are working with are creating their start representational figures, there is great value in teachers role modelling personal enjoyment in the visual arts. The key is to first create an environment of respect, collaboration and exchange between the children and their teachers. One time children feel truly valued, they will savour opportunities to appoint in playful art making and interchange with their teachers and their peers[xx].
Endnotes
[i] Wright, Due south. (2007). Immature children'southward meaning-making through cartoon and 'telling': Analogies to filmic textual features. Australian Journal of Early Didactics, 32(iv), 37-48.
[ii] Christensen, L. K., & Kirkland, L. D. (2009). Early childhood visual arts curriculum: Freeing spaces to express developmental and cultural palettes of mind. Childhood Education, 86(2), 87-91.
[3] Brooks, One thousand. (2017). Drawing to acquire. In One thousand. Narey (Ed.), Multimodal perspectives of linguistic communication, literacy, and learning in early on childhood (pp. 25-44). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
[iv] Clark, B., & Grey, A. (2013). Positioning the arts in early childhood education: Fostering the creative spirit. In B. Clark, A. Grayness & L. Terreni (Eds.), Kia tipu te wairua toi – fostering the creative spirit: Arts in early babyhood education (pp. 87-99). Auckland, New Zealand: Pearson.
[five] Fuemana-Foa'I, Fifty., Pohio, L., & Terreni, Fifty. (2009). Narratives from Aotearoa New Zealand: Edifice communities in early on childhood through the visual arts. Teaching Artist Periodical, 7(1), 23-33.
[half dozen] Craft, A., McConnon, 50., & Matthews, A. (2012). Kid-initiated play and professional person creativity: Enabling iv-year-olds' possibility thinking. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 7(ane), 48-61.
[seven] Nutbrown, C. (2013). Conceptualising arts-based learning in the early years. Inquiry Papers in Teaching, 28(two), 239-263.
[viii] Kukkonen, T., & Chang‐Kredl, South. (2017). Cartoon as social play: Shared pregnant‐making in immature children's collective drawing activities. International Periodical of Art & Blueprint Education, 37(one), i-18.
[9] Crafton, L., Silvers, P., & Brennan, M. (2009). Creating a critical multi-literacies curriculum: Repositioning art in the early babyhood classroom. In M. Narey (Ed.), Making meaning: Constructing multimodal perspectives of language, literacy, and learning through arts-based early childhood education (pp. 31-51). Pittsburgh, U.s.a.: Springer.
[ten] McArdle, F. (2012). New maps for learning for quality art education: What pre-service teachers should learn and be able to practice. Australian Educational Researcher, 39(one), 91-106.
[xi] Kaimal, One thousand., Ray, 1000., & Muniz, J. (2016). Reduction of cortisol levels and participants' responses following fine art making. Art Therapy, 33(2), 74-80.
[xii] Richards, R. (2007). Outdated relics on hallowed footing: Unearthing attitudes and behavior nearly
immature children'south fine art. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 32(4), 22-30.
[thirteen] Lindsay, G. Chiliad. (2017). Fine art is experience: An exploration of the visual arts beliefs and pedagogy of Australian early childhood educators. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
[14] Probine, South. (2015). The visual arts as a tool for learning within an early childhood setting. Unpublished chief'southward thesis, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
[15] McArdle (2012).
[sixteen] Wright, S. (2003). The arts, young children and learning. Boston, USA: Pearson.
[xvii] Probine (2014).
[xviii] Pairman, A. (2018). Living in this space: Case studies of children'southward lived experiences in four spatially diverse early childhood centres. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
[xix] McArdle (2012).
[twenty] Probine (2018).
Past Sarah Probine
meridethexagagaidid62.blogspot.com
Source: https://theeducationhub.org.nz/an-introduction-to-the-visual-arts-in-early-childhood-education/
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