Creative Expressions Through Art:
It's the Process That Counts
James A. Scott, Jr., and Barbara C. Woodard, Region V-b Technical Assistance Support Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Art and young children have a natural attraction to each other. Art is a form of expression for young children, and their development is enhanced by the various art experiences that they encounter. Art involves the use of many different materials in many different ways. As young children grow and learn, so does their development of art skills. The following stages represent the development of art skills and how children use the art areas:Early Scribble Stage:
Disordered ScribblingChildren explore and manipulate art tools as they make random marks. These repeated motions and experiences are what leads to the development and accuracy of muscle control. Art is associated with exploratory play.
Combined Scribbles:
Controlled ScribblingChildren suddenly find a connection among their motions and the marks, colors, and patterns on the paper. As they gain control of their movements, they begin to see the design in their scribbling. Their creative expression is manipulative and focused toward discovery and skill. development.
Pre-Representational Art
Children are able to make more symbols and shapes (human figures, suns, and various shapes) and tend to name their drawing or painting during the process or after it is completed. Many are immersed in the process and may view the final product as unimportant.
Representational Art
Children create definite forms, shapes, and symbols to represent feelings and ideas. They represent what is known, not what is seen, and gradually begin to create more detailed and realistic art. Their creative expression be comes more complex and representational.
As children move through these stages of using art materials, their art experiences might consist of drawing, pasting, painting, making collages, sculpting with clay and play dough, puppetry, and other age-appropriate activities. To help children advance through these stages, staff must assess their own creativity level, their beliefs of how children learn, and their interactive style with children during the learning process. Each of these areas is directly related to children's ability to express them selves and appreciate art as a learning process.
Creativity involves viewing the world, collecting information, and solving problems in new and different ways. No one does this better than a young child. Young children tend to be highly open and imaginative, and have a natural ability to come up with creative approaches, answers, and uses of materials. When staff plan for children to act alike, play alike, and learn alike, children find it less rewarding to openly express how they feel, to be curious, and to value and appreciate differences. When staff fail to appreciate a child's individuality, they also fail to help build and strengthen a child's development of self-concept and self- esteem.
When children are engaged in art work, staff should observe, record, and interpret the children's actions to identify where each child is developmentally their strengths, areas needing strengthening, and which activities could be used to enhance learning and skill development. Staff can best support children by talking with them about the process, asking open-ended questions that challenge children to think more creatively, and genuinely acknowledging and encouraging the children to express themselves through art.
Parents also have a role in this learning process. Like staff, they too must understand that the main goal in all art experience is not what the end product looks like, but the process of making it. The process for the child is what is most important-not the finished product
Art experiences provide many opportunities for self-expression by allowing children to construct something that is uniquely their own. Art activities offer children many opportunities to expand learning and increase their skills in all areas of development. So, art activities should be planned that allow children full expression and that celebrate the learning process rather than the product. Remember, the creative children of today are the creative adults of tomorrow.