How do Sylvia Kind’s ideas about children’s art relate to those you have held? How can they guide you as you approach practice? (Jan 18)

Chapter 2 of StArting With…Windows to a Child’s world: Perspectives on Children’s Art Making was very helpful with looking how children made art. Sylvia Kind, the author of the book, brought into perspective how children’s thought process proceed when they create art. I think that some of the things she talks about in this chapter are vital to understanding the children’s needs which gets overlooked. The part when she talks about how children start out drawing from what they know and regress to drawing what they see definitely resonated with me. It reminded me of my personal experience growing as a child.

While growing up, I definitely started out drawing what I know and drawing to what I see. Also Sylvia Kind mentions how children’s drawing “regress” to trying to draw with accuracy because they are trying to please their parents, teachers, or other forms of authority. I think that the form of regression in the drawings she talks about are the children’s confidence in their drawings and their use of space. I started out drawing on random sheets of paper I’d find and I remember them getting rejected by my parents for not looking “good” and I valued their opinions very much. Eventually my drawings went to a single image on a sheet with no background. The background for me wasn’t as important or as necessary as the main image. I guess in that sense my drawings regressed without me know it. Eventually as my confidence grew in drawing, I’ve developed to put in the background,.

I don’t necessarily think that it is entirely bad to take out the background. When working with grades 3 to grade 4, their needs is to do draw accurately and through observation. These skills are important to develop so a lesson plan around the this concept is not a bad idea. That is not to say that children should be completely left in their comfort zone. Children should be challenged appropriately in a way that the challenge allows them to grow and take something with them as opposed to leaving them in the dark with no direction.