Module 2
Understanding the child’s work It is important not to read deep psychological meanings into a child’s paintings and drawings. Art can be very revealing, but unless one has been well trained in art therapy and knows all the circumstances under which a painting was made, wrong judgements can be made. Also, since colours do not mean the same to young children as to adults, let’s avoid using their colour choices as indicators of their emotional state.
Note We want to provide a safe climate where children can feel relaxed and accepted, while expressing themselves.
It is not advisable for an adult to correct a small child’s drawings, to teach him how to draw or to show him a model or sample, as art at this stage is an expression of the child’s understanding of his world rather than an accurate representation of it. If the child asks for help with a drawing, the adult may discuss the shapes involved and encourage him to try to draw the picture himself.
Picture books and photographs help him to observe what things look like and they should be freely available. From these he will also absorb information about shapes and sizes of things familiar and unfamiliar to him. Adult interference is oſten damaging to a child’s pursuit of self-discovery and artistic growth. It makes him dependent on the adult and does not help him in his development of visual language and communication. Colouring-in books are not recommended for any age as they inhibit creativity and offer practice only in the limited skill of “keeping in the lines”.
Te adult’s attitude should be relaxed and uncritical as the child’s attitude to learning is developing as well as his ability to express himself. Her casual friendliness and appreciation should give him the confidence he needs to try new things. A variety of materials and media for experimentation should be available to him. Tis variety develops the child’s awareness and vocabulary of texture, colour, size, shape and so on and teaches him to observe and recall.
2.2.2 The child’s feelings about his/her own art
A child’s drawings are expressions of how he relates to himself, to other people and to his environment. Each drawing represents his way of coming to terms with his world and of telling others how he sees himself. His art should be understood, recognised and respected as such.
Te young child’s picture is more of a reflection of what he or she knows and feels than of what is seen. It symbolically reflects what is going on inside the child. Tus, the teacher should look at the drawing or painting as an index of the child’s state and try to improve that rather than the product. It is the feelings and perceptions that need to be changed, not the marks and the colours. As Cane says, “If the child is fully alive, his work will be.” How oſten in this world we tend to connect the effect and not the cause.
Keep in mind that what you are seeing is simply a stage in the process of the child’s development. Terefore, your only evaluation should be of the progress the child is making from week to week. Consider where the child is now in relation to where he was at an earlier date. Look for evidence that learning or real expression has taken place.
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