Chapter 8Art

Overview

• Art is fundamental, visual, and developmental

• Contributions to the developmental domains– Physical– Cognitive– Social and emotional– Language– Perceptual

Children’s Developmental Stages in Art

• Infants and toddlers– Sensory experience– Consider safety and appropriateness of materials– Children use entire bodies to interact with materials– Enjoyment comes from exploration– Transitions into and out of art activities are important– Flexibility is needed both inside and outside– Scribbling begins early– Do not expect finished art products

Children’s Developmental Stages in Art

• Preschoolers and kindergartners– Kellogg’s “20 Basic Scribbles”

• Placement stage• Shape and design stage• Pictorial stage

– Child creates in order to make sense of his or her world

– May tear up work while involved in the process– Children enjoy using their imaginations– Continued exploration and manipulation– Consider safety and appropriateness of materials

Children’s Developmental Stages in Art (continued)

• Five- to eight-year-olds– More serious and focused– Realistic color and proportion emerge– Careful planning is part of the process– Opinion of adult becomes important– Child thinks art must be recognizable in both

content and subject– Individual, creative, and cultural differences

emerge

Teacher as Facilitator and Observer

• Do not focus on the outcome or product—focus on the process

• Facilitate and observe• Provide space, materials, and time• Do not evaluate, judge, etc., art work or try to elicit

responses• Use ART TALK• Always try materials and activities first before introducing

them to the children• Model appropriate use of materials and implements

Creating an Environment for Creative Expression and

Experimentation• Children learn by active manipulation of

objects and interactions with people• Workbooks, coloring books, dittos,

patterns, and teacher-made models are not appropriate

General Guidelines in the Art Center

• The art center should be free choice– Art should not be done in large groups

• The art center needs – Space, materials, time– To be safe and an easy cleanup

• Balance art activities– Familiar with new– Messy with clean– Indoor and outdoor– Large and small muscle

Guidance Guidelines in Art Center

• Planning• Goals and objectives• Rules

– Guide children toward responsibility

• Limits• Messy is okay• Types of materials

– Dependent on development and ages of children

Use of Food in Art Projects

• Considerations– Expense– Cultural sensitivity– Self-regulation skills of toddlers– Food products such as flour, cornstarch, salt,

and food coloring are acceptable– Alternative choices

Outdoor Environment

• Expanded space• Freedom to move• Freedom to mess• Wider choices of media

Aesthetic Environment

• Being artistic does not just mean making art, it also means developing a sense of aesthetics

• How– Recognize beauty, inside and out– Pay attention to and use details of color, shape,

patterns, and texture– Use books with all types of illustrations– Display fine art– Have a children’s museum with a curator– Use light in interesting ways

Involving Children in All Forms of Art

• Tearing, cutting,• and gluing

• Painting – string painting – object painting – finger painting

• Crayons, markers,• and chalk – crayon rubbings – crayon resist

• Three-dimensional •materials – height, width, depth – texture – use of hands

How Art Activities Can Support Development

• Tearing, cutting, and gluing– Help small muscle development– Provide tactile experiences

• Painting– Encourages language development– Helps with judgment of spatial relationships– Develops form perception– Allows for the coordinated use of many muscles– Provides opportunities for manipulation and

experimentation

How Art Activities Can Support Development (continued)

• Crayons, markers, and chalk– Provide excellent prewriting experiences

• Three-dimensional materials– Encourage exploration– Help children release emotional tensions and

frustrations

Art across the Curriculum

• Connect art to everything you do• Encourage the use of art vocabulary• Combine art and math on a regular basis• Use art to explore scientific principles• Art is multimodal and multisensory

learning

Sharing Art with Families

• Help families understand why art is important

• Explain stages of art development• Encourage art to happen in the home

environment– Suggest materials, spaces, and togetherness

Art and Special Needs Children

• Art is open-ended, so it can accommodate the needs of all children

• Adaptations– Art center– Materials– Implements

Tips for Displaying Children’s Art

• Display art in the classroom• Display art at the children’s eye-level• Change the art displays frequently• Create a children’s museum display• Display all creations, not just the best• Use different methods to display art work

Technology

• Art can be enhanced by the use of– Overhead projectors– Cameras– Photocopiers– Videotapes– Computer technology

Developmentally Appropriate and Multicultural/Anti-Bias

Activities• Self-awareness and self-expression

activities• Sharing other cultures• Suggested activities

Observation, Assessment, and Evaluation

• Use art portfolios– Establish a routine for selection– Teacher can choose items to be included

• Make notes to accompany the work

– Children can choose– Take photos of work too large or fragile to be

included