Talking With Young Children About Their Art EDU 151 Spring 2014
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Verbal comments that teachers traditionally make concerning children’s art take the following six approaches: Complimentary Questioning Judgmental Probing Valuing Correcting
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Complimentary Approach With the complimentary approach, teachers tell children that their art is nice, pretty, lovely, super, or beautiful.
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Judgmental Approach With the judgmental approach, the teacher tells children that their art is good or great.
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Valuing Approach With the valuing approach, the teacher tells children that she likes or even loves their art.
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Questioning Approach With the questioning approach, a teacher directly and bluntly asks children, “What is it?” or “What is that supposed to be?”
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Probing Approach With the probing approach, the teacher attempts to draw from children some hint, title, or verbal statement about their art. Typical comments include, “Please tell me all about it” or “What can you say about this?”
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Correcting Approach The correcting approach attempts to provide children with specific feedback that will enable them to improve their art or make it better by more closely approximating reality.
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Teachers can use the aesthetic elements of art as a framework for verbally responding to children’s art. Color Shape Line Space Mass or volume Texture Pattern
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Keep three principles in mind when talking with young children about their art: Consider children’s developmental levels. Relate comments to the artistic elements the child has used in picture making. Use encouragement rather than praise.
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Too Much Praise Overuse of praise undermines the behaviors we want to reinforce. Praise does not encourage children to think about what they have done.
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. How should teachers verbally respond to young artists? Think about what you are going to say. Practice responding to children and their artwork. Speak to children individually.