By Iver Johnson, Creative Arts Teacher

There are a number of factors that make discussing artwork with young children challenging. The nature of art is visual and may not require a verbal response. I often remain silent while I observe what children are doing. Children are often engrossed in the process and speaking to them may disrupt or sidetrack important discoveries. However, as educators part of our job is to guide our young partners when appropriate and frequently we do this verbally.

But are there other options than talking?
Yes, silently handing them another material, a different color, another tool may be facilitating the process without saying anything. Children usually accept these modifications without a blink of an eye or disruption to their flow. Body language can also speak volumes; a nod of the head, a point or even a broad smile can acknowledge something special happening.

But what can I say that is useful?
Most people at any age would like feedback that is positive and helpful. To find relevant information is tricky; it must be on target with the child’s developmental level. For example, it would be inappropriate to tell a preschooler about the quality of line work because conceptually they are not ready to hear it. Before planting seeds the ground needs to be prepared; most often that means giving children information that is immediately useful and sometimes that means giving them glimpses of levels to come. If the information is too advanced, it is lost.

So what about talking, what can be said? The heart of any dialogue about the art process can be described with a few key phrases: be genuine, be observant, be reflective and inquisitive. Let’s examine the practical ways to embrace this philosophy.

Be genuine. You don’t have to personally like each piece of art. If children are given rote praise, they will be aware of it. You can change from “I love it” to “Wow, that is exciting!” or “You look like you’re having a great time doing that!” This takes the focus off an evaluation of the final product and places it on the process.

Be observant. Seeing the process gives clues to what the children are experiencing. The final product of children is often buried under layers of experimentation. It may be impossible to unearth the images that were initially made but, if one is privy to the construction process, there will be clues to what interests the child. At the preschool age the action tells more than the product. Squeezing, dripping, mixing--any of the verbs with ”ing”-- can be a topic for discussion. Being observant will provide insights into how it feels for the child. When we say “tell me about your picture”, we may be assuming that it is representational, when it just may be a sensual media experience.

Be reflective. Reflection simply means labeling some of the things you have observed with appropriate vocabulary, creating a base language of art. At this age descriptive words are often useful. Giving names to colors, shapes, and direction is part of the learning. The elements of design can be introduced when appropriate; these are line, shape, texture, repetition, unity, movement.

Johnson and Johnson at the 2005 NAEYC convention provided six topic areas to engage with children and talk about their artwork.
• Ideas. “Tell me about your ideas”. This wording takes the focus from the picture
(the product) and places it on the process (their ideas and motivation).
• Process. “How did you make this?” If teachers are observant they can help guide the student to think about and describe their process.
• Materials. “What materials and / or tools did you use?”
• Knowledge. We can determine each child’s developmental level and provide curriculum that advances his/her skills.
• Reflection. “What do you like best in your artwork? Do you want to add anything?” These questions will assist in clarifying personal likes and dislikes, an important step in critical thinking .
• Future. “What will you make next? What would you like to learn about? What would you like to learn how to do?” These questions encourage children to take part in directing their education.

Robert Schirrmacher describes five aspects of a teacher’s role.

• The teacher should be a facilitator. By offering materials and themes that emerge from children’s lives and interests, teachers can help children explore the media and shape it for their use and stories and reflect their own meaning in their work.

• The teacher introduces new materials. “Try out different ways of using these.” We want to promote the exploration of materials beyond what adults would typically think of demonstrating. It requires trusting the process when children do something unexpected, from their own perspective; it is easy to get caught up in our own expectations of how particular media can be used, and we need to be open to different directions that children go.

• The teacher extends or builds upon an existing activity or suggests a new technique. Noticing what the child is working on is crucial. The next step is to try to find something that will extend their play, give the potential for new discovery, or the knowledge of new approaches.

• A teacher poses a problem. Sometimes there are direct challenges given to a child without black and white solutions. “ How many different shapes can you cut? How can you use these empty boxes? What will happen when….”

• The teacher extends art into other curricular areas. Telling a story, acting out a play, dancing, singing, all can relate to what the child is exploring; even science and math can incorporate art.

The challenge of our diverse population. We value child-initiated experiences and following the lead of each student. At the same time, many of the children at Jowonio require supports to initiate, to approach and try out novel materials, to communicate about their work. While some adaptations can be made spontaneously, others need to be planned for and preconstructed by adults (e.g. choice boards, social stories). It requires creative problem-solving to support children with motor, sensory, and communication challenges so that they have opportunities to explore a wide range of media, as independently as possible, and at the same time have in place the accommodations that support success and confidence. Teachers, therapists, and parents working together can help this happen.

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