Arts

Having an art room has made a big difference in the way the children are experiencing art. For example, you can verbally learn what happens when you mix the primary colors, but there is no substitute for actually experiencing mixing colors with paint. This is the first year that many of my students have learned how to wash their paintbrushes between colors, how to be gentle not forceful with paintbrushes, and how to make different marks and shapes with a paintbrush. They also have learned how to create an array of different colors and they get so excited by each new discovery. The children’s minds open up to new possibilities. They are thinking and working like scientists, exploring and discovering a whole new world of mixing colors that many of them never experienced before.

The children’s minds grow with every art material they work with. For example, this year the children’s minds will expand as they work with clay and other three-dimensional materials. The first graders have learned what sculpture is, how to model with clay, and how to make a three-dimensional animal out of a piece of clay. Through art making, children hone in on their fine motor skills and their hand eye coordination. Beyond acquiring art literacy and art making skills, children also grow academically, emotionally and socially while engaging with art materials.

Art materials are an easier way for many children to express themselves. The students’ ability to express themselves artistically affects their ability to express themselves verbally and vice versa. The children explore in art class ways of communicating ideas, they find methods of self-expression, and they create narratives. Their cognitive abilities grow with their desire to explore and make sense of the world.

I am thrilled to be able to share with the children, not just drawing and collage, but also painting, printmaking, clay, paper Mache, and other messier materials that an art room is conducive for.

Ms. Arthurs, Art Teacher