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After years of working as an art guide in a Montessori classroom, Diane Sutliff compiled a collection of experiences that young children could approach, experience and complete with little or no adult help. Adults in the classroom are responsible for material preparation, method presentation and careful sequencing of activities. Children then choose the work, find a work space, and proceed to make artwork according to their own creative ideas. When finished, children replace the materials and tidy themselves, the materials and the space.
As with all other experiences in a Montessori preschool classroom, careful preparation of the materials is key. We select tools and materials and present them in a specific way allowing for the "control of error" so important in Montessori classroom work. (For example, when mixing colors we only provide two colors at a time that together won't make brown.)
A young child is a special type of artist. She is experimental. She is focused on the process and less interested in the final product, which she might give away, recycle or forget about completely. She is generally uncritical of her own work. She is happy and exuberant in her approach to art materials. At this point in her creative development she does not need "art lessons" but rather lessons that allow her to do the work herself and perfect her skills and understanding of herself and the world.
With this learner in mind, all GGYS early childhood art experiences include (to some degree):
- Sensory experiences
- Skill building opportunities
- Chances to learn real art words and concepts
- Creative freedom
Another important feature of the GGYS experiences is the use of the Mixing Primary Colors of magenta, yellow and cyan. With so many opportunities for color mixing, young children quickly learn that red, yellow and blue are not the best choices for color mixing work. They happily move between both the Traditional Primary Color Wheel (which mirrors Color Tablet Boxes, and work with media that we can not mix) and the Mixing Primary Color Wheel (for artwork with media that we can mix.)
Explanations and a description of each of these art experiences are included in the handbook Go Get Your Smock! Creative and Independent Art Experiences from the Montessori Classroom. (175 pages, spiral bound) Read the introduction below
In addition, we have created a special Early Childhood Art Education Workshop for teachers. This seminar has been presented at Montessori conferences, for Montessori associations and training centers and for individual schools.
Please contact us if you would like more information about our Montessori early childhood program.
(An excerpt from Go Get Your Smock! Creative and Independent Art Experiences from the Early Childhood Classroom Teacher Handbook)
Go Get Your Smock!
Creative and Independent Art Experiences from the Montessori Early Childhood Classroom by Diane Sutliff
Introduction
Young Children and Art: What to Expect and Not Expect
Young children like to experiment and create for the sheer joy of doing so. They like to try new ideas. They like to work independently. They like to touch, feel, manipulate, see and contemplate. Sometimes, they like to take something home.
In the early childhood stage of artistic development, children learn by doing and experimenting. They create from their imagination. They begin by scribbling -- that is, random placement of elements within the work. Then they begin to search for some order and demonstrate this by organizing their scribbling accordingly. After this, they begin to draw simple shapes and symbols. This leads to more representational work, with images that become identifiable to another's eye. The transition from scribbler to representational artist takes years and develops naturally with practice and exposure to creative materials. The pace of this development varies from child to child. Some children seem born with a crayon in their hands. Others may not create representational images until the age of six.
Most artists between the ages of three and six are not overly critical of their own work. If they have a chance to work independently and without criticism or interference, they will most likely be very pleased with their work. They may not be very attached to their finished project, and are as likely to give it away as a gift or recycle the materials as not. Often the artist will end up making nothing at all but have a wonderful time doing so. Or they may "destroy" what an adult perceives as a "lovely" creation by continuing to try new ideas. That is fine. For young children, creating is the important part. It is the process and the experience that matter.
As adults in the classroom, it is important to follow that lead. The attitude of the grown-ups affects the creative mood. If adults are supportive and non-judgmental, the children will be more likely to have happy, creative experiences. These young artists do not need you to show them how to cut a cat from construction paper. They do not need you to show them how to draw a landscape with a proper "vanishing point." They need you to provide quiet enthusiasm and encouragement. They need you to make tools and materials available. They need you to show them a way to do this work themselves so they are free to create and learn. They need you to talk about colors, lines and shapes. They need you to acknowledge their work.
Parents of children in an early childhood program may not be familiar with artistic development of children. The projects in this book are designed to allow children to have their own creative voice. Parents may be expecting their child to bring home competently executed copy work, and may be unsure what to think or what to say when their child instead brings home a wonderful smear of magenta and yellow, and consequently orange! So in addition to helping children find art skills and to have creative experiences, the job of the early childhood teacher is also to help educate the parents about what to expect from their children's artwork.
All the projects in Go Get Your Smock! were designed to try to eliminate ways in which an artist can have a frustrating experience. Certain tools, materials and methods have been suggested specifically because they remove the little obstacles that can lead to a disappointment. Media are presented in manageable containers. Methods have been broken down into small, simple steps. (Having said this, please don't let procedures get in the way of the moment. If your artist wants to paint using the handle of the brush, back away and enjoy watching the experiment. If your artist wants to squirt out the paint before she gets the paper taped to the table, please let her work it out.) Art at this stage is as much about learning skills and the mechanics of tools and materials as it is about making a thing of beauty.
Try each of these projects yourself before giving the materials to the young artists. Approach the project as a three-year old might by going slowly and using your non-dominant hand. You may choose to change some materials or equipment to suit your situation or your particular artists. When you present these materials to children, sometimes it works best to use only a few words, or no words at all.
Many of these projects are quite messy and will require aprons or smocks. A simple and inexpensive smock can be made from an adult t-shirt. Split the shirt up the back with a pair of scissors. Sew a 1" bit of velcro on each side of the neck edge. Cut a slit in the sleeve hem on either side of the underarm seam. Thread a 9" piece of narrow elastic through the sleeve hem/casing. Tie the ends firmly together. Wear proudly. This smock, although not waterproof, protects the artist's sleeves as well.
At Children's House, where I began to work with young children, we supplemented the work available on the art shelves with Art Day every week, featuring a new or revisited project. The project of the day was presented at a classroom table with the materials close at hand. Artists came to the table as space was available and as they were interested. At the end of the session, the last lucky artists got to help with the big clean-up. Often the project was left in the classroom art corner for a bit while interest was high. Most ideas described in this book are outlined as independent classroom work, and some are more suited to an Art Day approach.
These are some insights I have had when working on art with young children:
- No watchers at the art table. Every child deserves to have some privacy while they are creating. This includes adult observers. If a child is happily creating and is not a danger to himself, others or the equipment, leave him in peace. Even if (and especially if) he is making a great big mess, treat him as if he is not even in the room. Not butting in is hard and takes practice!
- Scribbling is to be encouraged. When children are given creative freedom, it is important for adults to remember that every artist's way is the "right" way for the project to turn out. This lets everyone take the emphasis off the finished product, and simply enjoy the process of making art. "Different" is good and should be expected and encouraged. Scribbling is how children begin to make sense from artistic elements. Sometimes the littlest members of the class can be discouraged by seeing the skills of the oldest, more accomplished students. Sometimes the bigger kids are not very supportive in this regard. Work with everyone to recognize the beauty in all artwork, and appreciate the enjoyment that comes from doing it.
- Take time after the work is completed to talk about the experience. During an exchange about a newly completed art project, there is the opportunity to introduce art concepts and words. You can remark on colors and shapes, or perhaps even more complex ideas like symmetry. (Section One on Art Basics offers a review on art terms and concepts for the adults in the classroom. There are summary sheets of these concepts in the Appendix in the back of the book that you can post inside an inconspicuous cabinet for a quick reference.) You might ask the artist to tell about her work. Ask her what was an interesting part of the process.
 Thank the artist for showing her work to you. Artwork is a very personal product, so it is usually best to avoid comparisons with other work by other artists. Avoid praise, since this can place undue pressure on the artist to live up to this particular "magnificent" piece. Some constructive comments can be, "I can see you had a good time painting with violet," "Those colors are very bright together," "Circles are your favorite shape today." These sorts of things said with a warm smile and eye contact are some of the best encouragement you can offer.
As a final note, remember to always write (or have the artist write) the artist's name and the date on every project before beginning. All art projects begin the same way, by setting your materials on your work surface. This is the easiest time to make name writing part of the art routine. Since it is mentioned here, it goes without saying throughout the book.
So, go get your smock! |
Please contact us if you would like more information about our Montessori early childhood program or to your own copy of Go Get Your Smock! Classroom Teacher Handbook.
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