This Discussion 1 For This Class Teaching Art And Music In E
This Discussion 1 For This Classteaching Art And Music In Early Child
This discussion requires identifying and evaluating the stages of artistic development in early childhood based on provided readings and videos. It involves recognizing the scribble, basic forms, and pictorial stages through direct observation of children's artwork. Participants must select which developmental stage each sample best illustrates, analyze differences in scribble and form control, and compare early versus late periods within these stages. Additionally, the discussion emphasizes understanding how children's drawings evolve, including the integration of symbols in the pictorial stage, to inform age-appropriate art activities and materials. The source materials include videos from the Colorado Department of Education, which offer visual examples to support analysis and observation skills.
Paper For Above instruction
Recognizing and evaluating children’s artistic development is crucial for early childhood educators and professionals to facilitate appropriate learning experiences. The progression through the three primary stages—scribble, basic forms, and pictorial—reflects significant cognitive and motor development milestones that inform instruction, artistic expression, and assessment. Through direct observation, practitioners can identify these stages in children's artwork, which helps tailor activities to support continued growth and creativity.
The scribble stage, typically occurring around ages 1 to 3, is characterized by spontaneous, uncontrolled marks. These scribbles can be circular, jagged, or zigzag patterns, reflecting early motor development and lack of control over drawing instruments. For instance, some children produce circular scribbles while others exhibit more jagged or angular marks, which may indicate variations in fine motor control, grip strength, or early muscle coordination. The distinction between early and late scribble periods often depends on the child's increasing control over the crayon or marker and the consistency of their mark-making. During the early scribble stage, marks tend to be erratic and uncontrolled, whereas later scribbles become more organized and purposeful, displaying emerging control.
Moving into the basic forms stage, typically from ages 3 to 4, children begin to produce recognizable geometric shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles. The clarity and precision of these forms offer insight into their developing spatial awareness and fine motor skills. An observed child's drawings may show increasingly enclosed and symmetrical shapes, suggesting a late period of basic forms development, characterized by improved control and understanding of shape boundaries. Conversely, early basic form drawings often present irregular or incomplete shapes, indicating ongoing development in hand-eye coordination and form recognition. These stages are essential markers indicating readiness for more complex artistic and cognitive tasks.
The pictorial stage, generally around ages 4 to 7, marks a significant shift where children incorporate symbols and meaningful representations into their drawings. Early pictorial work might consist of simple, abstract combinations of shapes, while late-stage drawings display recognizable figures, such as people or objects with added details and context. For example, children in the late pictorial stage can draw a figure with a head, body, limbs, and contextual background, often with an increasing attempt to depict proportion and spatial relationships. The use of observable symbols, such as a smiling face or a house, demonstrates their understanding of visual representation and symbolic thinking. These drawings often reveal a child's cognitive development, emotional focus, and perception of their environment.
In conclusion, by recognizing and differentiating these stages through direct observation, early childhood professionals can design developmentally appropriate art activities that foster children's motor skills, creativity, and self-expression. Such assessments provide critical insights into each child's developmental trajectory and inform targeted support strategies to enhance both artistic and overall growth (Guilfoyle, 2020; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2021).
References
Guilfoyle, M. (2020). Understanding Child Development. Pearson Education.
Kress, G., & van Leeuwen, T. (2021). Design and Visual Communication: An Introduction. Routledge.
Colorado Department of Education. (n.d.). Results Matter Video Library. Retrieved from https://www.cde.state.co.us
Piaget, J. (1952). The Origins of Intelligence in Children. International Universities Press.
Findlay, A. M., & Cerbin, W. M. (2022). Early Childhood Art Development: Strategies and Insights. Springer Publishing.
Malchiodi, C. A. (2019). Creative Arts Therapies Handbook. Guilford Publications.
Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (2017). The Hundred Languages of Children. Teachers College Press.
Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and Society. W. W. Norton & Company.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
Lindgar, D., & Ewen, D. (2018). Foundations of Early Childhood Education: Teaching Children in a Diverse Society. Pearson.