Open- ended Art and its impact in other areas of learning

Rebecca LoSassoSOE 115 Psychology of Teaching and Learning

Kendall College

Overview of the StrategyDoes open-ended Art enhance other areas of learning?

In early childhood a variety of art promotes literacy and brain development. Art encourages Cognitive Development, Physical development, Social and Emotional development. Art supports and encourages children to think and express themselves in a creative way. Art activities help children in all areas of development. Teachers should plan activities with children’s overall development in mind.

I chose this strategy because I wanted a clearer understanding of open-ended art and its impact on children’s learning in other areas.

Credible Source #1

Source one discusses the relationship between art and literacy. Art encourages the recognition of print and the ability to distinguish scribble, shapes and markings. Art promotes eye , hand and brain coordination. Art also enhances verbal and visual creativity. Self-Esteem is strengthened when art and emerging literacy skills are valued and respected.

Credible Source #2The second source describes each area that is reinforced by creative art activities

Physical Development- Art activities enhance children’s large and small motor skills. It also improves eye and hand coordination. Children also develop and practice fine motor control by using crayons, markers and paint brushes.

Language Development- Art encourages children to develop language skills by discussing and describing their art work to a teacher or friend.

Social Development- Children learn to work together, interact together as well as how to clean-up and care for materials by learning to put them where they belong in the classroom.

Emotional Development- Through art children are able to express themselves through their creative drawings. When we respect children’s creativity they will feel good about themselves and this will build up their self-esteem.

Credible Source #3The third source discusses the skills learned through art, but it also discusses the fact that the process is more important than the final outcome of the project itself. It is also important to talk with children about their art work. Teachers should ask children open-ended questions about their pictures, and use “art vocabulary” for example, talk about lines and colors (straight, curvy, sky blue and grass green). Teachers should let the child describe their art and can also facilitate the language usage by noticing the color and lines they see thus, modeling and expanding the vocabulary.

Credible Source #4The value of open- ended art was explained in the fourth source. There are three pivotal developmental areas that were discussed in the article. Open – ended art encourages communication and active expression in young children. Open- ended art helps children focus their attention as well as learning to manage their behaviors. These skills will also help them later in life with problem solving, math problems and also solving conflicts with school friends. Lastly, open- ended art helps strengthen and refine motor skills needed for everyday tasks such as zipping, buttoning and writing.

Analysis

All four sources describes the developmental areas that are enhanced by creative art activities. One source also touches upon the use of open- ended questions and the use of art vocabulary when discussing children’s art work.

Connection

Creative art activities help children enhance many areas of learning: Cognitive, Physical, Language, Social and Emotional development as well as Self-Esteem and Imagination and Experimentation. The idea of using art corresponds with most of the theories of Vygotsky and especially his theories of language development and scaffolding.

Communication with Families

If parents wanted to know why I value art and why I feel it helps children learn. I would be able to tell them how art reinforces other areas of learning. I could list the developmental areas and explain in detail how art increases physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development.

Conclusion

In conclusion, open- ended art enhances other areas of learning. Art encourages self-esteem in young children. Teachers can build up a child’s self esteem by asking open-ended questions about their art project, but also by respecting and valuing their creativity and imagination.

ReferencesArt, Literacy and Learning http://caeyc.org/main/caeyc/proposals-2011/pdfs/AnnaReyner1.pdf

Creative Art Helps Children Develop across Many Domains August 31,2015 http://articles.extension.org/pages/25680/creative-art-helps-children-develop-across-many-domains

Better Kid Care Art- An opportunity to develop children’s skills February 6,2014 http://extension.psu.edu/youth/betterkidcare/news/2014/art-an-opportunity-to-develop-childrens-skills

The Value of Open-Ended Art By Christine Maynard and Kara J. Ketter