.jpg)
Beginning around age 2, your child will begin to draw and paint. These first creative attempts are more about fine motor skills of grasping the paint brush, following the steps to gather the materials and finally, the thrill of seeing something appear on the paper. As a parent, we love and cherish these first works of art. We comment on how beautiful and lovely they are, and of course they are, however, all of the gushing can lead to a child’s inability to create or work for the sake of the activity, but rather as a way to gain outside approval for a job well-done.
In a Montessori classroom, teachers respond to a child’s work in a way such that they acknowledge the child’s effort and also empower the child to enjoy the work process without the external influence of others.
Next time your child shows you his finished artwork try one these open-ended phrases:
Say “I see you used a lot of red in your painting” instead of “It’s beautiful, great job”.
By remarking about the colors in the picture you are acknowledging that you have really looked at the picture and open the conversation up to the child telling you about why he chose the red, what it means or how he felt when he was painting. When you respond with “great job”, the conversation is over.
Say “Would you like to tell me the story about your drawing?” instead of “I love it, is it a truck?” By asking your child if he would like to tell you the story of his picture, you are aiding his development of language skills. The oral description of a drawing or painting is an opportunity for a child to socially interact, express his emotions and gain self-confidence in his communication skills. Remember, when you ask a yes or no question, all you will get back is a yes or no answer.
Other phrases to try:
“Why did you decide to use these three colors?”
“Where would you like to hang up this drawing?”
“What were you thinking about when you painted this picture?”
“Who is the figure that you have created?”
“How did you make that gray color?”
For a child, the process involved for creating art work should be internal self-motivation, not external praise at the final product. Acknowledging your child’s effort and concentration and showing real interest in the process your child used is a fundamental building block for independence and self-esteem development in your child.
For more info: Art as process activities, Chicago children's art workshops, Chicago children's art classes inspired by music, eco-friendly children's art materials, children's art supplies in Chicago
Comments