Welcome to Unit 3: Art and the Developing Young Child

Getting to know you! If you could describe yourself as a color, what color would you be? I would be a warm inviting mossy green!

Unit 3 Unit 3 looks at how children’s development of their creative abilities supports their development in all other domains. Children’s art theorists will be discussed. Basic to all art theories is that each stage of art is a part of the natural and normal aspects of child growth and development. The developmental stages in art are guides to what children can do in art at different ages. An understanding of developmental levels tells a teacher what came before and what is to come in the artwork of children. This knowledge allows teachers to plan developmentally appropriate art experiences which also support the development of flexible thinking skills.

Preview Unit 4 Project In the Unit 4 Project you will design an age appropriate art center for one of these specific age group of students: toddlers, one and one-half to four years preschoolers, four to six years young school-age children, six to eight years You will address ten factors for designing a successful art center and include at least two-to-three sentences addressing each factor. In addition, you will be asked to choose which factors are most important to your design and explain why.

Create your center http://classroom.4teachers.org/ This will help you create a map of your center that you create. It is not required, but I thought it might be fun.

Developmental Levels and Art Children grow and develop in their creative abilities just as they do in mental, physical, social, and emotional areas. There are developmental stages in art that are guides to what a child can do in art at different stages. There is no exact pattern for each age level, but a gradual process of development through which every child progresses. An understanding of developmental levels tells a teach what came before and what is to come in the artwork of the children.

Seminar Questions SQ #1: Explain how art aids a child’s physical/motor and mental development, including early literacy skills, and discuss the place of art in the total early childhood program. SQ #2: Define the terms self-acceptance, self-concept, and social competence and describe how the art program can add to a child’s self-concept and self-acceptance . SQ #3: Discuss how the art program helps in child-to-child relationships, child-to-teacher relationships, and child-to-group relationships.

Art and Physical – Mental Growth motor development – physical growth gross and fine motor development – large muscles develop in the neck, trunk, arms, and legs before the small muscles in the fingers, hands, wrists, and eyes develop. cephalocaudal development – a pattern of growth from head to toe. proximodistal – a pattern of growth from inside (center) to outside. hand-eye coordination – the ability to use hands and eyes together visual acuity – the ability to see and recognize shape and form. This ability is implicit in all creative activities. sensorimotor development – involves the body and the senses (sensory) as they are used in doing (motor). flexible thinking – the child learns to think of things in the context of change and that not all things are permanent. Emergent literacy – early language and literacy (speaking, reading, and writing) evolve from a number of earlier skills.

Art and Social – Emotional Growth social – emotional growth – the growth of the child’s feelings and as a member of a group. self-concept – a child’s growing awareness of his or her own characteristics (Physical appearance as well as skills and abilities) and how they are similar to or different from those or others. self-acceptance – a good feeling about oneself. Children who feel good about themselves and believe they can do things will have a good sense of self-acceptance. social competence – the ability to get along with others and an importance factor in child to child relationships.

Seminar Questions SQ #4: Explain the three stages of art development in early childhood (scribble, basic forms, and pictorial), including appropriate materials for use in each stage. SQ #5: Discuss appropriate art activities and materials for toddlers, preschoolers, and K-2nd graders.

Developmental Levels of Drawing Scribble Stage begins at about one and one half to two years of age. It is made up of the early stage of random/disordered scribbling and the later stage of controlled scribbling. Basic Forms Stage is achieved when the child has enough motor control and eye/hand coordination to repeat forms such as basic shapes. The basic forms stage is made up of the early stage (oval or circle) and the later stage (rectangle and square). Pictorial Stage is observed when pictures or first drawings are made by the child for a purpose. Basic forms perfected in the preceding stage suggest images to the child that stand for ideas in the child’s mind. The pictures children draw are made up of symbols. Symbols are a visual representation of something important to the child. This first drawing stage is made up of an early and later pictorial stage. The later pictorial stage involves the child’s development and use of his own personal schema. This is the child’s individual , special way of drawing forms. First drawings are an important step in the development of written communication.

Developmentally Appropriate Art Materials Large, good quality crayons Large, blank paper Felt tip pens Pencils Brushes Non-toxic tempra paint Others?

Developmentally Appropriate Art Activities What ages are these activities appropriate for? Action Painting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7QPjwMaMc&feature=related Bubble Wrap Printing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN_Jm8bJvpo&feature=related Finger & Foot Painting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQSNO8h4XGw&feature=related How can these be modified for children with special needs?

To Do List This week you will: Complete the readings Participate in discussion Attend seminar Complete the graded review

Wrap Up When we teach a child to draw, we teach him how to see. When we teach a child to play a musical instrument, we teach her how to listen. When we teach a child how to dance, we teach him how to move through life with grace. When we teach a child to read or write, we teach her how to think. Jane Alexander