Linking self expression through Art with conventional curriculum is more recently increased in Early Childhood education, attending to the necessity to respond to the more popular question in education: Could the abstract thinking implemented in art, music and other artistic expressions promote cognitive process in early education? One study developed for Posner, Ph.D, Rothbart, Ph,D and Sheese, Ph.D from Oregon University pinpointed that “children with high interest in the arts, and with training in those arts, develop high motivation; the motivation sustains attention; and high sustained motivation, while engaging in conflict-related tasks, improves cognition.” In our contemporary time, several studies have sustained the conception that the imagination and creativity may influence children’s attention, spatial relationship with the surrounding and their accomplishment in several tasks. “The right hemisphere of the brain controls imagination, visual and spatial perception. It's dominant in art, music, and physical movement.”(Reyner, Anna. 2011). However, our current education system places great emphasis on academic development, underestimating how art enhances creativity, imagination and self-esteem through the concepts developed in its execution.
The present project surged with the necessity to introduce new ideas in the current Art program, which take place since 2008 at Child & Family Center, Santa Clarita, CA. The objective was founded by developing artistic activities which will explore styles and techniques of four of the world’s greatest artist. The artist selection for the program was aleatory, considering as reference the most important movement such as Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and Baroque. The random of students who participate in the program was the total population, which includes 70 early preschoolers between the ages of 2 years-8 months to 5 years old, in separated groups. More of them provided from low income family homes with a non-primary English speaker origin. Some changes in relationship with their ages were taking in consideration to adapt the activities to their age-appropriate standard.
The program formulated since the beginning the implantation of techniques and styles provided from four famous artists, which were: Rembrandt (Baroque movement), Monet (Impressionism), Matisse (Post-Impressionism), Vincent Van Gogh (Post-Impressionism) and recently incorporated Degas (Impressionism). Through the techniques, the activities were orientated to promote thinking skills and motivation during imitating artist paintings. The children imitated the style but they used their own palette of colors as reference to express emotions and feelings, experience that will help them cognitively with the apprehension of the concepts about space, colors, dimension and emotion expressions. The activities were formulated from simple to complex abilities, providing to children sensory learning experiences and materials with multiple uses and possibilities to create. “The arts can be a critical link for students in developing the crucial thinking skills and motivations they need to achieve at higher levels" (Deasy, & Stevenson, 2002). On the other hand, the activities promoted language development when asking for cause and effect relationship between color and materials transformation, making the children label their emotions and express themselves in their own color-language by identifying angriness, sadness, etc with an specific color or pattern, promoting self-esteem and valuation of their individual creation.
The project has a goal accomplishment of 100%, however, overcomes the expectations because include another artist (Degas) which was introduced at the end attending to time disposition. The lesson plans used in each activity are added with the intention to clarify the process and make specific the objectives and domains which are attending in each activity. The grade of specificity achieved in every description, make the result highlight in elements to be used with children of different ages or grades of complexity. Every lesson plan describes objective; proposal ages; explanation of the cognitive, Social/Emotional, Motor skills, Language and Creative domains; materials needed and process. The project could be a useful resource for the application of art concepts and creative techniques with little children.
In conclusion, the present project will continue as an attempt to promote authentic self-expression in Early childhood education, taking as objective the improving of language skills, promotion of interest for social events and historic changes, creation of a brain stimulation which increase the focus and the better understanding of visual, spatial and perceptual tasks, essential in the creative process for a posterior children’ understanding to the reality. The US Department of Labor recently published a report cited in a of Anna Reiner’s study that supports these views, by concluding, "Arts education helps students develop skills needed for most jobs in later life, including creative thinking, problem solving, exercise of individual responsibility, sociability and self esteem."
References
Reyner, Anna. Art Influences Learning. Earlychildhood news. Excelligence Learning corporation. 2008. Web. May 7, 2011.
Deasy, R., & Stevenson, L., The arts: Critical links to student success. The Arts Education Partnership, Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, DC. (May, 2002)
Crockett, Kevin. How Art Influences Childhood Development. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/808311. Web. May, 9th, 2011.
