Visual Arts Curriculum Greater Appreciation for the Creative Process
The visual arts encompass an extensive range of visual modes that children apply for expressing, communicating, mediating their thinking, engaging in artful exploration and enquiry. What is defined as visual arts is shaped past cultural and social values. Some mutual examples include painting, clay work, sculpture, collage, weaving, construction, photography, vesture art, carving, printing and ephemera, although at that place are many more modes of visual expression and exploration.
How practise the visual arts support children'south learning?
Thinking of the visual arts in early childhood pedagogy can initially evoke an image of a child standing at an easel, thick stubby paintbrush in hand with brilliant acrylic poster paint spreading quickly across the page. However, research has shown the visual arts to be a rich domain through which immature children can explore and represent their experiences, think through and deepen their working theories, and develop their creative thinking. It is through the visual arts that children learn about the symbolic systems of representation and communication valued by their communities. The visual arts support children'south learning in a number of means:
- Facilitating advice
For pre-literate children, the visual arts are a principal means through which they can explore and share their perceptions of their world. The visual arts can help children to communicate ideas that cannot be expressed verbally ,which is particularly important for children with English every bit a second language. The meanings of children's art works are not always 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 aslope are equally of import in helping teachers to ameliorate understand the child'south thinking[i].
The visual arts also support children to communicate with each other, particularly when teachers create opportunities for them to piece of work on shared projects or to explore common interests together. Such opportunities encourage children to substitution ideas, consider solutions and develop shared meanings through collaboration. These experiences may also encourage children to develop their verbal language[ii].
- Mediating thinking
Researchers have built upon Vygotsky'southward theory that language acts as a tool to mediate thinking to advise that visual arts could work in a similar way and found that children's visual representations are more than closely connected to thought than exact language 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 surroundings, children can effort out new ideas as well as strategies for working with visual media, inspired by their peers, which they internalise and and then describe upon later in different contexts. In this manner, the visual arts back up 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 correct answer. The visual arts offering multiple solutions to a trouble or ways that an idea can be expressed. When children accept opportunities to view each other creating visual arts, and to talk most the ideas they are exploring through their art, they tin can develop an appreciation for different perspectives and an understanding that knowledge is subjective, that there is no one 'truth' or correct answer.
- D eveloping cultural knowledge and fostering identity germination
Researchers also affirm that the visual arts, aslope other arts domains, are a chief means through which cultural identity and associated values are shared with young children[iv], and contend that it is important that teachers develop agreement of how the visual arts are valued by families and communities as a ground for creating culturally responsive visual arts curriculum[5]. For children, experiencing the visual arts valued by their cultures within their early on childhood settings can transmit powerful letters near how they and their families are valued. It is besides vital that children are exposed to many different examples of the visual arts so that they can develop an appreciation of a range of culturally diverse art forms within their early on years. This can be achieved past connecting with local community organisations such as galleries, artist studios and important cultural sites similar the local marae.
- Promoting creativity and imagination
The visual arts allow children to enter imaginative worlds, to be creative and to engage in playful thinking. Developing children's imaginations is of import for learning to bear witness 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 as such, support the development of creativity and what has been described as 'possibility thinking'[vi]. Fostering possibility thinking develops key dispositions of learning such equally problem solving, perseverance, collaboration and seeking support from others[seven].
- Exploring aesthetics and the language of art
For some children, visual arts are a means to explore colour, texture and the possibilities of visual media. These children enjoy opportunities to develop skills and techniques. Research has highlighted how important it is that children have opportunities to conceptualise their own art making in improver to opportunities to create in group contexts[eight]. This allows them the space to immerse themselves in aesthetic exploration should they wish.
- Developing disquisitional literacy
Teaching children to interpret or 'read' visual modes of communication is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century as 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 image. Some researchers argue that it is crucial that teachers talk with children almost the images they encounter in their everyday surround, discussing how meanings have been conveyed past the creative person or illustrator[x]. This helps children to understand that images, like stories, are synthetic and that they communicate letters. This is the first footstep in developing the ability to critically analyse visual texts, a vital skill in a world saturated by images. Talking with children about images too allows them to understand that they too, have the capacity to create images, to communicate ideas to others, or to explore ideas for themselves.
- Offering emotional support
For some children, artmaking is their primary means of processing their experiences. For these children, date in visual arts can touch their emotional wellbeing, allowing them transition into the solar day, or into a new centre environment. Inquiry has likewise found that art making has the potential to significantly reduce stress levels[xi]: it is important for children to have access to tools for art making throughout the mean solar day and particularly in the morning equally a means to support these children to settle into the day.
Why is the teacher's role then important in supporting and facilitating visual arts experiences?
Teachers play pivotal roles in how children experience the visual arts in early childhood. This is because information technology is teachers who create the classroom surroundings, who decide what visual arts materials are bachelor and when, and who choose where and when children volition appoint in the visual arts. Currently, teachers' practices in the visual arts vary profoundly. In New Zealand, teachers often take widely different views about how visual arts should exist taught in the early years. This can make it hard to understand what is appropriate and when.
Some teachers believe in a hands-off arroyo. Teachers who abet for this approach tin exist informed past the belief that the child is innately creative. They believe their role is to provide the materials and a supportive environs but that the children tin can do it themselves. They perceive adult interference to negatively affect the child'south creativity. Critique of this approach argues that sociocultural theories have helped united states to sympathise that children are in fact influenced by everything, their relationships, their environment, 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, word and interaction hinders creative person development[xii]. In fact, children crave interaction, feedback and discussion nearly their ideas, creations and interests.
In contrast, a teacher-directed approach is becoming increasingly adopted by some early on childhood teachers[xiii]. In these cases, teachers program prefabricated activities for children that are often inspired by websites such as Pinterest. This is the kind of artwork where it tin be difficult to differentiate ane child's work from another. Such activities tin feel 'rubber' for teachers because at that place are no surprises and they can control the result. However, besides many instructor-directed experiences tin negatively bear upon children's cocky-efficacy in the arts and they can become reliant on the teacher for guidance and teaching[xiv].
A lack of personal confidence in visual arts may exist i gene that prompts teachers to adopt a teacher-directed approach. Research has shown that a lack of self-efficacy in the arts often begins within one's own schooling experiences[fifteen]. Many teachers, when prompted, can trace back to the moment in their lives when a teacher or important role model criticised, over-directed or controlled their artmaking[xvi]. The upshot of such negative experiences can mean that teachers can avoid any further learning in the visual arts and can experience anxiety when thinking nigh planning for the visual arts as office of their ain teaching.
These two approaches offering either too piddling or likewise much guidance from teachers. When teachers adopt a more moderately guided approach to supporting children'southward 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'due south agency as capable and confident learners.
How teachers can build their confidence to programme and implement a rich visual arts curriculum
At that place are several ways that teachers tin build their personal confidence and pedagogical knowledge to teach the visual arts in the early years. An important starting bespeak is self-reflection. This could be a personal journeying or function of a shared centre-broad inquiry. Reflecting about personal history with the visual arts can enable teachers to identify when and how their conviction was lost in the first place. There is existent value in sharing the memories of these experiences within pedagogy teams. This tin can be an effective 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's homes and cultures and inviting parents and caregivers with visual arts expertise to spend fourth dimension sharing their knowledge with the children (and teachers) tin can serve to strengthen partnerships and actively embrace multiple perspectives concerning how the visual arts tin can be valued.
It is vital that teachers have both practical and pedagogical knowledge of the visual arts. There is great value in playing with visual arts materials before offering them to children. Teachers could sign up to an evening class or organise a professional learning event in club to develop new techniques or understandings of dissimilar art genres. It is much easier to support children's fine art making when you can truly understand with the challenges of working with different media. Teachers tin can and so engage in authentic conversations with children about fine art making, which many children relish[xvii]. The same can exist said for pedagogical knowledge. Professional development that develops theoretical understanding of the impacts of different teaching approaches is another vehicle through which teachers tin examine and perchance reframe how they view children equally learners. This in turn fundamentally impacts how they respond as teachers.
How teachers can contain the visual arts into their exercise
There are a number of strategies and practices that teachers can use to support and promote children'southward experiences of the visual arts in their practice.
- Spend some time in your middle thinking nigh what your visual arts environment 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 middle's overarching philosophy.
- If you determine you want to change or increment the kinds of materials you offering, consider what can be sourced for gratuitous. Rich visual arts materials don't necessarily take to toll anything. Natural materials can exist thoughtfully collected for ephemeral art. Recycled materials tin can be bundled aesthetically for children to create three dimensional sculptures.
- If y'all don't have a dedicated space for visual arts making already, remember almost creating one. This tin can be as uncomplicated as moving the furniture effectually. At that place are significant impacts on children's capacity to be artistic for sustained periods of time when they have a defended infinite for fine art making[18].
- Retrieve about placing visual arts materials in other spaces throughout your centre: for example clipboards, paper and pencils in the structure expanse can invite children to programme their work, evaluate its success and, after a construction is completed, think how information technology was created.
- Invite children to create visual arts in groups based on their personal or shared interests. Stay with them, request questions and documenting their work and responses (with their permission). Documenting children's visual arts is one mode yous can recognise and affirm this is a domain that is valued.
- Talk to children about their artwork, create opportunities for exchange and discussion amongst children.
- Requite children opportunities to revisit their work. Relieve artwork till the next day and invite children to evaluate their work and make up one's mind if they would like to continue to work on it.
- Try not to put too much emphasis on representation. Children apply a range of modes for exploration through the visual arts. It is easy to assume they are representing 'something' just frequently it tin can be that they are engaged in aesthetic exploration instead.
- Ensure the same materials are available for children each day. It tin can be useful to imagine the visual arts as a verbal language. To larn a language, you have to practise and practise. The visual arts require similar dedication and conclusion. If we want children to become proficient visual arts makers, we shouldn't alter the language daily[xix]. Proceed materials like graphite pencils out all of the fourth dimension. Recall well-nigh creating a defended dirt workshop or a impress making station with space for work to be stored until the next day.
- Finally, don't feel afraid to create aslope children. Although yous probably won't create a masterpiece when the children you are working with are creating their starting time representational figures, there is keen value in teachers function modelling personal enjoyment in the visual arts. The key is to start create an surround of respect, collaboration and exchange between the children and their teachers. One time children feel truly valued, they will relish opportunities to engage in playful art making and interchange with their teachers and their peers[xx].
Endnotes
[i] Wright, S. (2007). Young children's meaning-making through drawing and 'telling': Analogies to filmic textual features. Australian Journal of Early Education, 32(4), 37-48.
[ii] Christensen, L. M., & Kirkland, 50. D. (2009). Early childhood visual arts curriculum: Freeing spaces to express developmental and cultural palettes of mind. Babyhood Education, 86(2), 87-91.
[three] Brooks, Thou. (2017). Drawing to larn. In Thou. Narey (Ed.), Multimodal perspectives of language, literacy, and learning in early on childhood (pp. 25-44). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
[iv] Clark, B., & Greyness, A. (2013). Positioning the arts in early childhood education: Fostering the artistic spirit. In B. Clark, A. Grey & Fifty. Terreni (Eds.), Kia tipu te wairua toi – fostering the creative spirit: Arts in early childhood education (pp. 87-99). Auckland, New Zealand: Pearson.
[v] Fuemana-Foa'I, 50., Pohio, 50., & Terreni, L. (2009). Narratives from Aotearoa New Zealand: Building communities in early babyhood through the visual arts. Teaching Artist Periodical, 7(ane), 23-33.
[vi] Craft, A., McConnon, L., & Matthews, A. (2012). Child-initiated play and professional person inventiveness: Enabling four-year-olds' possibility thinking. Thinking Skills and Creativity, seven(1), 48-61.
[vii] Nutbrown, C. (2013). Conceptualising arts-based learning in the early years. Enquiry Papers in Education, 28(2), 239-263.
[viii] Kukkonen, T., & Chang‐Kredl, South. (2017). Drawing as social play: Shared pregnant‐making in immature children's collective drawing activities. International Periodical of Art & Design Education, 37(ane), ane-xviii.
[ix] Crafton, L., Silvers, P., & Brennan, M. (2009). Creating a critical multi-literacies curriculum: Repositioning art in the early childhood classroom. In Yard. Narey (Ed.), Making meaning: Constructing multimodal perspectives of linguistic communication, literacy, and learning through arts-based early childhood instruction (pp. 31-51). Pittsburgh, U.s.a.: Springer.
[x] McArdle, F. (2012). New maps for learning for quality art didactics: What pre-service teachers should learn and be able to do. Australian Educational Researcher, 39(i), 91-106.
[xi] Kaimal, G., Ray, Thousand., & 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 ground: Unearthing attitudes and behavior about
immature children's art. Australian Journal of Early on Childhood, 32(4), 22-30.
[xiii] Lindsay, G. Chiliad. (2017). Art is experience: An exploration of the visual arts beliefs and pedagogy of Australian early babyhood educators. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
[14] Probine, S. (2015). The visual arts as a tool for learning within an early on childhood setting. Unpublished main'south thesis, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
[xv] McArdle (2012).
[xvi] Wright, Due south. (2003). The arts, immature children and learning. Boston, Usa: Pearson.
[xvii] Probine (2014).
[18] Pairman, A. (2018). Living in this space: Case studies of children's lived experiences in iv spatially various early childhood centres. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
[xix] McArdle (2012).
[xx] Probine (2018).
Past Sarah Probine
mcgillivrayhimant1987.blogspot.com
Source: https://theeducationhub.org.nz/an-introduction-to-the-visual-arts-in-early-childhood-education/
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