How should I act when I join my toddler in
the Studio?
How can I be a part of their
exploration without disrupting their investigation?
Here is our Center’s
culture around
talking
about children’s work and taking part in the activity
in a child-centered
way.
Talking about children’s work
For many
toddlers, the material is an experience – an opportunity to feel and move and
try new things. While older toddlers with more words might begin to describe
what they are doing or even what they are drawing, wait for them to identify
their work rather than assuming it might be representational. Questions like
“What is that?” sometimes make children feel as though their artwork has to be something. Take a moment to watch the way your child is
using the material. Is she interested in the feeling of it? The movement of it?
The tools she has? Ask some questions or offer some observations about what you
notice.
“How do you use this tool? What is this for?”
“What does it feel like on your fingers?”
“I’m so curious about that! Can you tell/show me more?”
Joining in the activity
Art
materials can be so enticing, you just want to play with them, too! The trick is, how can you
join in alongside your child without the focus shifting to what you are doing rather than what they are doing? So much of a
toddler’s work is about their ever increasing independence, so give them room
to test and try with minimal direction.
Take a
moment to look at the children’s work. How is your child using the material? Is
she feeling it with her hands or using a tool? Try interacting with it in the
same way that she is.
If a
child asks you to paint something for them, encourage them to try, or, if they
aren’t yet doing representational work, talk with them about the lines, shapes,
or textures of what they are thinking of.
If they
hand you a brush or tool, make sure they have one, too. Try painting together
on the same surface using the same strokes.
Similar posts are available for parents of infants and preschoolers.
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteKerriJune 14, 2015 at 4:12 AM
It may be entertaining for the child to watch an adult creating art however, in order for a child to LEARN about the materials THE CHILD must have a chance to interact with the materials and experience them in their own way. Just as a child learns to walk by trying to walk, the child will not learn about the world of creation soley through watching others create but rather by creating themselves. As we adults observe, we might be amazed by the child's wonder and creativity with the materials they are given or that they find. The experience can by quite unexpected and beautiful when allowed to grow from the child's own body, mind and soul.