ABOUT
In the words of Picasso, " All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up" (Roy et al 2012 ,p.8). The beauty of childhood is that young children learn through exploring their world by way of their senses. This is why the arts are so instrumental in early childhood education, as not only do the arts offer rich sensory learning experiences, but the arts are imbedded in everyday life, which makes learning experiences rich, widely available and an integrated means of teaching a wide variety of subjects in a way that is both engaging and meaningful to children.
This website is about highlighting the importance of arts education for young children and cultivating creative potential and cognitive and physical development through rich and meaningful arts lessons (drama, visual art and music) that can be implemented as part of a quality early learning program or curriculum for children aged three to five years.
The aim of the arts is to help children discover who they are, and even more importantly, who they can become. The arts are fundamentally vehicles for personal and shared expression, which means learner autonomy is a critical skill for genuine artistic learning and is also a skill that is gained and developed through engagement in the arts (Essa 2013, p. 393).
In addition to being a vehicle for self expression, the arts are also vehicles of cultural narratives which will be a focus of all lessons in the form of promoting cross-cultural understanding, exploring cultural diversity and reflecting "real world experiences" (Roy et al 2012, p.15).
The following lessons are structured according to Being, Belonging, Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (Australia Government, DEEWR 2009) and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (EYLDF 2009).
Philosophy
The arts are a central part of human existence and are especially pivotal in a child's life, as the arts have the ability to touch our hearts, transcend barriers and effect change like no other discipline. The arts are responsible for inspiring imagination, creativity and appreciation for what it means to be human. The impact of these effects is boundless for young children, which is why as an educator, instilling a love and appreciation for the arts is one of the most important elements of my role as an educator . Providing children with arts rich learning experiences is my goal and I will know that I have reached that goal once children begin seeing themselves as artists. In line with the Reggio Emilia approach the view of the child is that of an innately capable and creative being that is full of potential (Essa 2013, p. 215). In oder to nurture and develop this potential, scaffolding the child through what Vygotsky termed "the zone of proximal development" is vital in order to promote learning beyond a child's current set of knowledge and skills. (Essa 2013, p. 121). These principals are illustrated in my personal philosophy statement:
As a teacher my role is akin to a gardener who provides fertile ground (the arts curriculum) for children to start thinking and working as artists. Once children progress and develop their knowledge and skills, it is the planning, encouragement and scaffolding provided that will enable creativity and artistic expression to blossom, which will set the foundations for a life long love and appreciation for the arts that can be found all around us.
In the words of Picasso, " All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up" (Roy et al 2012 ,p.8). The beauty of childhood is that young children learn through exploring their world by way of their senses. This is why the arts are so instrumental in early childhood education, as not only do the arts offer rich sensory learning experiences, but the arts are imbedded in everyday life, which makes learning experiences rich, widely available and an integrated means of teaching a wide variety of subjects in a way that is both engaging and meaningful to children.
This website is about highlighting the importance of arts education for young children and cultivating creative potential and cognitive and physical development through rich and meaningful arts lessons (drama, visual art and music) that can be implemented as part of a quality early learning program or curriculum for children aged three to five years.
The aim of the arts is to help children discover who they are, and even more importantly, who they can become. The arts are fundamentally vehicles for personal and shared expression, which means learner autonomy is a critical skill for genuine artistic learning and is also a skill that is gained and developed through engagement in the arts (Essa 2013, p. 393).
In addition to being a vehicle for self expression, the arts are also vehicles of cultural narratives which will be a focus of all lessons in the form of promoting cross-cultural understanding, exploring cultural diversity and reflecting "real world experiences" (Roy et al 2012, p.15).
The following lessons are structured according to Being, Belonging, Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (Australia Government, DEEWR 2009) and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (EYLDF 2009).
Philosophy
The arts are a central part of human existence and are especially pivotal in a child's life, as the arts have the ability to touch our hearts, transcend barriers and effect change like no other discipline. The arts are responsible for inspiring imagination, creativity and appreciation for what it means to be human. The impact of these effects is boundless for young children, which is why as an educator, instilling a love and appreciation for the arts is one of the most important elements of my role as an educator . Providing children with arts rich learning experiences is my goal and I will know that I have reached that goal once children begin seeing themselves as artists. In line with the Reggio Emilia approach the view of the child is that of an innately capable and creative being that is full of potential (Essa 2013, p. 215). In oder to nurture and develop this potential, scaffolding the child through what Vygotsky termed "the zone of proximal development" is vital in order to promote learning beyond a child's current set of knowledge and skills. (Essa 2013, p. 121). These principals are illustrated in my personal philosophy statement:
As a teacher my role is akin to a gardener who provides fertile ground (the arts curriculum) for children to start thinking and working as artists. Once children progress and develop their knowledge and skills, it is the planning, encouragement and scaffolding provided that will enable creativity and artistic expression to blossom, which will set the foundations for a life long love and appreciation for the arts that can be found all around us.