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Exploring The Aesthetic Experience
Exploring The Aesthetic Experience
The following lecture notes primarily reflect of an overview of chapters 3 & 4 of Mayesky, 2002.
Aesthetics and expression are innate characteristics in young children. Children gain an aesthetic sense by doing.
Sensory awareness is nourished by teachers who help young children focus on the variation and contrast in the environment.
Varying textures such as leaves on a tree Varying colors associated with
Include real art books in the reading and quiet areas of the room.
Display fine-art prints on bulletin boards and walls so that children can easily see them. Include art objects in the science table Invite guest art educators into the classroom to show the children art objects to look at, touch, and talk about. Give children an opportunity to choose their favorites from a selection of fine- art prints.
Development of an aesthetic sensitivity is an initial talent that can later lead to advances in critical thinking as children develop greater insight into their environment.
Aesthetic sensitivity promotes self-learning because they become more sensitive to gaps in their knowledge. Children are more tolerant because they learn that there are many possible ways of doing things.
Consequently, they are also better able to deal with complexity because they do not expect to find one best answer.
Children are more independent because they are more open to their own thoughts. They are good questioners for the same reasons.
AESTHETIC EXPERIENCES Aesthetic experiences for young children can take many forms. They can involve appreciation of
The Beauty Of Nature The Rhythm Imagery Of Music Or Poetry
Colbert and Taunton (1992) suggest three major themes that are evident in high-quality early education
1. Children need many opportunities to create art.
1. Children need many opportunities to look at and talk about art. 1. Children need to be become aware of art in their everyday lives.
In many ways, what children look for is reflective of their internal needs and the resources available to them.
Resources may be personal (interpersonal problemsolving skills, senses, cognitive and motor competencies) Resources may be environmental
Teachers Should Ask Themselves Two Questions Each Day When Working With Preschool Children.
1. Have the children done something today that has helped them feel good about themselves? Introspection Development
1. Have the children done something today that has helped them use their imagination in either the past, present, or future? Fantasy Development
Lesson plans, activities, and trips should be planned and evaluated with these two questions in mind.
The process of exploring materials with older children usually involves the creation of more complex works of art. Older children pay greater attention to expressing specific ideas in their work and are more intentional in their approach to using materials. A variety of interesting materials need to be available for their aesthetic experiences as they are not distracted by quantity of materials.
The teacher can give guidance in several ways: 1. Asking questions aimed at helping the children reach out for and get the payoff they are seeking. Avoid too many ready-made models or ways of doing things Teaching children over and over to do something in only one way ruin their aesthetic sense. Be positive and creative when using models or examples
Occasional use of models and examples is not uncommon in many classrooms today. Examples and models by other children can help motivate children to get started on making one of their own. Teachers comment throughout activities can help encourage each child to be creative in their approach.
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5. Help children hunt for aesthetic qualities. Help children get in touch with what they feel about differences. Encourage older children to identify and analyze more subtle and complex visual relationship.
6. Help children use other senses when only one sense seems necessary. 7. Help children experience basic elements of art such as line, rhythm, and contrast in many art forms. Creative movements (or dance) display a strong relationship to the basic art element of line
The element of rhythm is most frequently associated with music, dance, and poetry, but it can be just as much a quality in art.
The element of contrast provides one of the most exciting characteristics in all the arts.
Set up displays to show different ways the children have used a medium, such as painting, collage, clay.
Let the room reflect the childrens diversity, their likes, their interest. Take time at the end of the day to show artwork to the children, letting them talk about each others work. Model for the children how to make a positive components. Send all artwork home in a way that shows your respect for the artist and the art.
Parents should be helped to see what the child liked about the creative work. Parents should also know why some materials are used by their children and others are not. Parents should learn to approach their childs making of gifts, art exhibits, and displays as demonstrations of the childs aesthetic sense.
Childrens creative work can help parents know about their children. Teachers can assist parents in showing the visual examples of the creative process and pointing out that they are valuable for the process alone.
Teachers can assist parents of older children to see and appreciate the progression of images that are growing more subtle and complex in their childs art.