Search for an article about drawing and young children

[shellybear]

I have been searching for an article that I was given/shown when I was studying and can't seem to find it anywhere. It is about a child who is shown how to draw and colour a flower and gets into trouble when they paint a blue flower and purple sky. They then move to another school where the teacher is more open to allowing the children to use their imagination and creativity and the child is unsure of what to do next. I really want to find it and show my staff at the childcare centre where I work, as they are beginning to print out too many colouring worksheets and "helping" the children, so that it all looks nice on the wall. Please can anyone point me in the right direction of where I can find it!!!!

[Chef Dave]

Why not simply have a talk with the staff regarding your concerns? You have identified a problem. If you can tactfully present a solution, then so much the better. The article would be a nice way to illustrate your point but seems superfluous under the circumstances.

[mopar]

I don't think this is the article you are looking for, but it has some of the same points. It might help...
http://bartelart.com/orchid.html

[science_monkey]

I know the article you're talking about. I believe I may have a copy hidden in my files somewhere, so I'll start looking. Hopefully I still have it.

[science_monkey]

Mopar, that's a great article you posted. I'm a firm believer that recording observations through drawing greatly increases one's understanding of the subject being observed. I try to have my classes incorporate this sort of activity whenever possible. We then discuss what characteristics each person focused on or what stood out as puzzling or interesting. Some of the students focus on fine details in a subject, while others focus on shape, form, or perceived function. It's interesting to see what the different students view as "important" in the drawings of their observations. These sort of activities can really get kids' minds working and thinking critically about things.

[Boxcar]

I think that coloring worksheets do have their place. Coloring can be very relaxing and methodical for some children. In other words, it can be theraputic.

A lot of children really do love to color. I don't think we should totally eliminate this.

Still, this does not mean that it is an acceptable art activity. Children need to have open-ended materials as much as possible.

I agree with you that your staff needs to be reminded of this. Parents do like to see neat, cute projects, but there are ways to please the parents without limiting creativity.

Children can be given small items to paint on, such as wooden boxes or cardboard shapes. The surface suggests a product, but the children are free to focus on the creative process.

Thick flat picture frames can be used by the children to make colleges (sp?). This is the same idea as above, The object is the product, but the children still are independently creative.

One great idea is to take magnetic printer paper. This is thin, magnetic paper that the one can buy in office supply stores. The children can draw on it like regular paper to create maginets.

I'd also discuss with your staff how to talk to children about their projects. I know it can be hard to think of something to say at times. You might revert to "That is very nice." or "I love it." Knowing how to appreciate the art process will help your teachers become more comfortable.

[science_monkey]

Shellybear, I've been searching for that article since I last posted and it seems to have disappeared. I can't find it on any search engines either (public or academic). Sorry. Let me know if you end up coming across it yourself.

[shellybear]

Thank you, Thank you to everyone for helping me to search for this article. I have finally found it and would like to thank you all again for your help. The article or poem is by Helen Buckley and is called "The Little Boy". I have been able to use the article alongside discussions with my staff and their rooms are already looking more creative and they look like the CHILDREN are having fun while learning. Thanks again and have fun teaching! Cheers :D