You can see it on their face. "What IS that?" Eyebrows raised, then they silently avert their eyes, hoping you didn't just see their expression. It's OK. I am used to seeing those reactions from parents and other visitors to our room when they first look at the latest art display in our classroom. It is a natural reaction. You want to make a positive comment or ask your child a question about their work. If you have no idea what in the world IT is, however, what can you say? What may look like scribbles, strokes of paint across the paper or some odd-dimensional piece is a masterpiece created with far more brainpower than a cookie-cutter craft. In our program at St. Mary Preschool, the majority of our art experiences are those included in our Experience Preschool with Mother Goose Time curriculum. They are largely Reggio-inspired, with a beautiful full-color photograph and conversation prompts that the teacher may use. A variety of materials are available: usually markers or paint, natural items such as sticks and leaves, dimensional pieces such as small cups, noodles, etc. along with glue, scissors and so on. Mrs. Grady, our afternoon assistant, prepares the art table after school for the next day's project. Mrs. Plamondon then guides the process in the morning. Art is one of the many choices available during the 75 minute block of uninterrupted play. And it always relates to the monthly, weekly and daily theme. While the child is having an engaging conversation with a familiar and caring teacher, they are using higher-level thinking skills. They are sharing prior experiences (language, memory recall), gaining new knowledge (vocabulary) and developing small muscle skills. Famous artists are quite often featured, such as this tree by Wassily Kandinsky, so their cultural awareness is increased as well.
One of my favorite aspects of this art experience is the relationships that develop between teacher and child. Mrs. Plamondon will help the children relate this project to our current theme, ask questions and quietly listen before commenting. There is laughter, smiles, concentrating faces. Some of the questions that were asked during this Kandinsky Tree experience:
The children are learning self-discipline as well. They are seated at the table, hands in lap, then the discussion begins. The supplies and materials are then made available. Children are allowed time to think of a plan and carry it out. In our monthly Experience Preschool with Mother Goose Time curriculum kit, are small notes to share with parents. We usually staple the note to the art project. It provides a brief explanation of the activity as well as questions the parent may want to ask their child. We have received wonderful feedback from the parents regarding these notes. I appreciate that I don't have to create them every month and yet have an easy way to connect with families. Here are some more resources re: Process Art and Reggio Emilia: www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2014/process-art-experiences https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2015/emergent-curriculum https://childdiscoverycenter.org/non-traditional-classroom/what-is-the-reggio-emilia-approach/ If you are not already using process-based art in your classroom, I encourage you to explore it further. It can be scary to branch out or change. It is possible to become aware of different philosophies and slowly integrate new ideas into your program. You may just embark on a wonderful journey at the same time.
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AuthorSheila Anderson has over 25 years experience in the Early Childhood Field and still loves going to "school" everyday. Archives
January 2022
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