Art is part of the society today, ranging from paintings, designs, music, and writing among others. Most education systems across the world manly focus on the academic side of education and pay little attention to creativity. For childhood passage, it has been playing an important role in the tradition. Froebel, one of the scholars in this field, believed that it was important for children to enjoy art by others and also be involved in making their own art. According to him, 1826, art was not important because it brought about an opportunity to discover only those children who could be having an extraordinary input hence encouraging those who had no interest in it to like art. This ended up introducing art to be part of a child’s bringing up.
Art been part of young children’s learning brings about socio-emotional development. Children have to build teamwork in the areas of art, unlike other fields. They learn to interact with others through sharing of ideas or discussing each other's art. They also learn to be responsible for clean-up and putting materials away. Through creative art, whether by drawing or writing poems and stories, children get the opportunity to express themselves about the issues that they cannot deal with or talk about openly. For example, a child with a single parent may draw a picture with both of their parents, trying to show the thing that is important to them. When children are either modelling using clay, or making even collages, or others drawing using crayons with others they are more comfortable. All this comfort among young children is because they do have a command upon the materials they tend to use during the art class.
It aids in the cognitive development of children and motor development. Making art is a sensory exploration activity and also helps in developing a role of being in-charge of both small and large groups of muscles. For painting or drawing large arm movements are required to coordinate the vessels and strengthen the movements of the fingers, and wrist required in different activities such as using scissors to cut, draw on small surfaces or even model clay, develops fine motor dexterity and control. Kamil and DeVries (1993) suggested that it is through exploration of materials, such as learning the names of shapes, colors and learning that mixing two primary colors gives you a secondary color, as they picture out how the objects around them are.
It also gives children a platform for children to build imaginations helping them to develop in many areas. They tend to come up with different ideas, drawing things they believe in such as ponies or even the boogie man. It gives them the opportunity to show their imaginative skills, some as mild as believing in Santa to actually having imaginary friends. Art programs help children express themselves and their parents get to learn more.
An adaptation as any development or modification to something, for visual and performing arts framework. This modification gives children a morale that helps them to generate an aspect of participating in the core curriculum back in school. Early childhood teachers face a lot of difficulties in providing art activities that are of great advantage and they can be matched with curriculum course requirements. Teachers need to be creative and find ways that children can like, enjoy and appreciate the art while at the same time learning across the curriculum.
A center-based environment, integrating the curriculum with art programs and activities, in the creative classroom can be managed in different ways by teachers. For example, by using masterpiece production. Smaller production of masterpieces and posters are readily available and easily attainable by teachers through a supply of teacher catalogs. Though masterpieces cannot replace all other teaching methods since they help children to understand more and better.
Having field trips and classroom art centers can provide opportunities for growing a child’s creative ability and are thus other ways that teachers can manage a center-based environment. Children have a short attention span and having them involved in activities such as museum field trips could help increase this. Children making choices about the discussed materials on what to use and this aids them in their decision-making skills as they have to choose two or three options at a time. Lownfield and Brittain (1975) caution teachers not to change the materials that children have familiarised with them in a center to avoid confusion. Young children do require some time for practice and learn skills.
Active involvement of a family in their child’s life in the classroom is important. Teachers have a responsibility for keeping the family involved in the life of the child. Being families who are well informed and part of the activities their children are participating in helps the child’s learning. Family involvement can be encouraged by having at-home projects for both parents and children. Brand (1996), put forward that parents should encourage their children on art activities so as to develop different skills to work with them at home feeling as comfortable as they can be.
Art activities help children develop skills and abilities that they can apply in many other areas of the curriculum. The curriculum, which mainly focuses on developing the child’s intellectual abilities, is good for expanding a child’s knowledge. Adding up art programs into the curriculum not only helps in the child’s abilities and skills but also in appreciating the cultures of other people and gain the courage to express their thoughts concerning art. A center-based environment helps in bringing up an all rounded child. Art programs should be added to the curriculum especially for young children for an all-sided childhood development.
REFERENCES
Froebel F.(1974) The Education of Man (W. N. Hailmann, Trans.). Clifton, NJ:A. M. Kelley.
Kamil C., and DeVries R. (1993), Physical Knowledge in Preschool Education, New York. Teachers College Press.
Lowenfeld V. and Brittain W. L. (1975) Creative and Mental Growth, New York. Macmillan
