Developmental Research

Non-Universal Development: Researching Child Art

Natalie Hough

ARE6933, Dr. Hunter-Doniger

1/21/22
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Abstract

Recommending a shift from focus on developmental stages to cultivating emotional and

symbolic tendencies in learners. When our strategy becomes to facilitate self expression and self

reflection, developmental models become less essential for educators. While developmental

models are still relevant in this view, they become frameworks rather than constraints, a resource

rather than a prescription.

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Since I began working in daycares, I wondered why we stop thinking of considering

students emotionally and developmentally once they enter primary school, gradually decreasing

these supports with each grade. Strangely, kindergarten and college have a lot in common

philosophically (Hughes, 2017). Why, then, do we change our educational tactics from

Froebelian to Industrial (Hoskins & Smedley, 2019; Kong, 2017) during the critical interim

stages? Wouldn't a consistent academic approach better prepare students for higher learning?

From executive choices being made in the planning stage to presentation and reflection,

an education in the arts provides many opportunities for students to practice autonomy. I notice

with younger students we very rarely give them an opportunity to review the work they and their

peers have completed. And here I mean a dedicated opportunity, not passing by hallway displays

on the way to recess. While I don't suggest subjecting five year olds to formal critiques, taking

even a few minutes for observation and reflection can really provide a sense of closure to the

process. Can students have a sense of control when we are yanking markers from their hands

because they are late for their next class?

The time factor in art education cannot be overlooked. Dedicated studio opportunities are

what makes these activities truly beneficial for children in terms of physical, emotional, and

sensory development (Gardner, 1995). The making itself is not the entirety of the artistic process

(Crowdy & de Graffe, 2005) or, to turn a phrase, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts".

I notice that some students seem unsettled by leaving their work and materials mid-process.

Teaching students to care for their products and materials is a very important lesson, and one that
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wasn't highlighted in my own art education until my college years. Just as we teach students to

care for their materials, we should teach them to present their work.

There is the fundamental and necessary distinction drawn between “child art”, the art

created by children impulsively (Efland 1976; Wilson, 2004, p. 305), and “school art”, a form of

institutional art (Efland). I think there is yet another subsection that needs to be considered,

"social media art", another form of institutional art, designed to gather likes and comments.

Children are directly attuned to this, and in many ways this is how they get their art exposure.

Seeing the wide variety of art on social media is an amazing and unprecedented platform for

independent artists, but failure is very rarely depicted, and it has made competition very fierce.

There's a "comparison trap" element in social media that is causing depression to skyrocket

(Webber, 2017). Here art education can play a critical role by highlighting the conventions

present in different institutional art forms and their psychological effects, as well as challenging

students’ worldviews by looking outside of the current visual culture.

A solution to Efland's (1976) issues with anti-intellectualism in my mind would be more

global art history connections. Art history is rarely mentioned in early childhood or primary

levels. As a gen-ed TA in second grade, I did a "paint along" of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry

Night", beginning with an art history connection. None of them had heard of him. I let them

branch off when they chose, though I kept a constant narrative of my own process, displayed via

projector. While some eagerly went conceptual (one included red blue and yellow stars from his

own astronomy knowledge, which I thought was amazing) some went very sensory with paint

smearing, and a third section carefully copied my strokes to pick up technique. Each of those
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students walked away with a valid creative experience.
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Clockwise from top left: Pierce rushed through to get to his free draw (which was fine). His speed translated to confident marks; Hollis noticed a

lot from the original work that I didn't include in my example image, like the buildings and a secondary set of swirls, and worked the entire

session; Samuel included red dwarf and blue giants in his stars, and later began using his fingers to apply the paint; Jack painted standing up with

very quick and physical strokes (he also was a drum player, which I feel you can "see" in the painting)

Jeffers (2009) proposes the root of artistic endeavors may be deeply and inextricably

connected to our species' ability for empathy. Neuroscientists have observed the brain reacts in

the same way whether we are watching an action be performed or performing the action

ourselves (Jeffers, p. 3-4). Furthermore, the brain reacts the same way to tools designed to be

grasped and manipulated, as though “anticipating that such actions will occur” (p.5), and

proposes that the same reaction might be observed when a viewer sees a paintbrush or even a
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still-life. This neurological lens reinforces the philosophical stance taken by Louis (2005),

Pearson (2001), and Sunday (2015). This would suggest we need to focus on the empathetic

potential in the art classroom, and the effect institutional art and popular culture has in shaping

the individual’s perspective not just on art, but on reality.

In many cases, the best way to combat subliminal manipulation is to create transparency

through education. Grauer (2002, p. 90-92) recommends emphasis on semiotic and media

literacy being incorporated into art education curricula to give learners the tools to analyze their

own environments. Hamblen & Jones (1982) propose stronger focus on the socio-cultural

context of art, and furthermore suggests our current separation from said context is part of this

continuum, reflecting 20th century views on the intrinsic value of art decontextualized from its

surroundings (p.51-52; Marske, 1987). Rather than develop a singular developmental model,

another voice telling learners who and what they should be, we can create a space where learners

can discover who they are for themselves, and give them tools to communicate these discoveries.
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References

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Lawrence Erlbaum