Chapter 11 Using Work Samples to Look at Creativity “Writing meaningful observations as they are occurring cannot happen in a teacher-directed classroom. The teacher is too busy.” ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. WORK SAMPLES Children’s drawings, writings, products, inventions Media: Photos, video, audio tapes Transcripts of conversations Anecdotal records of dramatic play episodes ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Development Revealed in Work Samples ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Uses of Work Samples Advantages In natural setting, non-teacher directed Compared over a period of time Expression of child’s thoughts and feelings Disadvantages Children’s products are works in progress May lead observer to draw wrong conclusions Collection and storage ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. What to Do with It Depending on medium, it can be duplicated for child’s portfolio Shared with child and family as a point of discussion and comparison to work over time Displayed in classroom (without competition) Used to explore children’s interests and extend with planned activities ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

LOOKING AT CHILDREN’S CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT Stages of Children’s Art Making marks – 0 to 2 years, experimentation Scribbling – 2 to 4 years, exploration Preschematic – 4 to 7 years, nonrepresentational 4. Schematic – 7 to 9 years, more realistic ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Early Stages of Drawing Mandala – combination of a cross inside a circle Suns – the circle with radiating lines Radial – Straight lines radiate from a central point to form a circle-like shape Tadpole Man – representing humans, combining the circles and lines into a head with features ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Observing Creativity in Infants and Toddlers Learning how to create something from “raw” materials: they can draw w/ chubby crayons and markers; they can paint with non-toxic paint (pureed food like spinach, beets, peaches, or applesauce) Exploring materials with their senses Learning different ways to express thoughts and ideas Learning to make decisions Developing the ability to share materials and appreciate others’ work Developing a positive self-concept Developing and refining fine motor and cognitive activities ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Process vs. Product Materials presented for exploration Unique outcomes Child has freedom to select materials and work Only child’s hands and ideas in the work Finished work shown as a model All works look similar Teacher/Adult gives directions Adult “helps” child by contributing to the work or restricting the child’s ideas ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Blocks as a Creative Medium Types of Blocks Plastic interlocking Unit blocks Hollow blocks Cardboard blocks Foam blocks Special building sets Cube blocks Stages in Block Play Carry, fill, dump Stacking, laying Bridging Attachments Patterns Naming, representing Reproducing ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Creativity and Development Cognitive – Problem solving, logico-mathematical skills Social/Emotional – Expression, sharing, cooperation Physical – Involves refinement of large and small muscles Language – Expands descriptive vocabulary, symbolic representation ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Helping All Children with Creativity Giftedness Divergent Thinking Cultural Diversity Ability Diversity Helping Professionals ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Talking with Children about Their Work CONSIDER NOT… Complimenting (Very nice. Beautiful) Judging (Great. That’s wonderful) Valuing (I love it) Questioning (What is it?) Analizing (Is this a car?) Correcting (grass isn’t orange. Here is green crayon for grass) Modeling (making a model for the child to follow) PRACTICE Describing Color (you used a lot of red) Patterns (You made a lot of blue and yellow lines) Process (Can you tell me how you did it? What part did you do first?) Attention (you worked a really long time at that) Relationship to experiences Concepts ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.