©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Chapter 10 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. 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. 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 erroneous conclusions Reflect inferences of selector Collection and storage

©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 1.Making marks – 0 to 2 years, experimentation 2.Scribbling – 2 to 4 years, exploration 3.Preschematic – 4 to 7 years, nonrepresentational 4. Schematic – 7 to 9 years, more realistic

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Early Stages of Drawing

Observing Creativity in Infants and Toddlers Learning how to create something from “raw” materials 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.

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 Enclosures 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. Comparison of Stages NOTE SIMILARITIES OF TRANSITION BETWEEN STAGES Cognitive – Piaget Creative – Kellogg, Lowenfeld Language Writing Social Emotional – Erikson

©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 Judging Valuing Questioning Probing Correcting Psychoanalyzing Modeling PRACTICE Describing –Color –Patterns –Process –Attention –Relationship to experiences –Concepts

©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Standard Related to Young Children and Creativity Child Development Associate (CDA) Functional Area 7: Creative Candidate provides opportunities that stimulate children to play with sound, rhythm, language, materials, space, and ideas in individual ways and to express creative abilities.