Safely Supporting the
Development of the Visual Arts
in Infants and Toddlers
Shannon D. Lockhart
slockhart@highscope.org
Objectives
Discuss the importance of art experiences for
infants and toddlers
2) Identify the stages in the development of the
visual arts in infants and toddlers
3) Safely plan an environment that supports the
visual arts
4) Identify ways to begin supporting the
appreciation of art in infants and toddlers
1)
Experiencing the
Visual Arts as ITs



Listen to instructions for the
first art activity
What are your reactions to this
experience?
What about active learning?
(Materials, Manipulation,
Choice, Language and Adult
Support)
Experiencing the Visual
Arts as ITs -- Part 2



Listen to instructions for second
activity
What are your reactions to this
experience?
What about active learning?
(Materials, Manipulation, Choice,
Language and Adult Support)
Why is art experiences important for
infants and toddlers?


In your table groups, discuss why you
think art experiences are worthwhile for
infant and toddlers.
Refer to the key developmental indicators
during this discussion.
Reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The arts are central to children’s cognitive, social,
emotional, language, and motor development.
Art is intrinsically rewarding
The arts motivate and engage children in learning,
stimulate memory, facilitate understanding, enhance,
symbolic communication, promote relationships and
provide an avenue for building competence
Important for its own sake
Turns us inward to define personal ideals of beauty,
meaning and value
Uses all of our senses while engaging our minds and
bodies
Cont’
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Develops children’s thinking and ability to express
thought
Develops language and communication skills
Strengthens children’s mental images
Children represent their memories, ideas, predictions,
hypotheses, observations and feelings
Arises naturally from children’s play
Supports early brain development
Precursor to the development of problem solving skills
Identifying Developmental
Areas of Art

Let’s take a look at the stages of
development of the visual arts and the
developmental progressions in making art.

Turn in your training booklet.

Discuss stages with your group.

Look at these children and identify the
stage.
Identify Stage
Identify Stage
Identify Stage
Identify Stage
Identify Stage
Let’s watch ITs in action



Watch these infants
and toddlers involved in
a painting activity.
Keep in mind the
stages.
Discuss as a whole
group.
Practice Identifying the Stages

Now look at the pictures on your table and
with your group decide their developmental
stage and/or their progression in making art.

What are your reactions?

Easy? Hard?
Come up with a plan



With a partner, choose 1 picture.
Come up with a plan to support this
child based on the stage of
development.
Could be materials, group time, outside
time, meals, adult support strategies.
Pictures of Art
Materials






With your group, take a look at the pictures of
art materials on your tables.
What materials do you currently have for infants
and toddlers?
What do you think about these materials with
infants and toddlers?
How would you provide a variety of materials?
What about safety?
How would you store art materials?
Supporting the Artist
in Each Child
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Set up an attractive art area (quantities of
inexpensive materials)
Provide enough time for art experiences
Create a playful atmosphere for children’s
art
Encourage children’s discoveries about
lines, shapes, and colors
Plan ways to build on their current
understanding.
Cont’
6.
Watch what children do and converse with them about
their work:

(Going back to interaction strategies)–Be silent; Just be
there!

Repeat what the child says

Restate what the child says

Make reflective comments about the visual-graphic
elements or the process

Use questions sparingly. Use questions that encourage
children to share more about their work
Cont’
Display children’s art
7.
•
•
•
8.
9.
At eye level whenever possible
Have lots of undecorated classroom space for
children’s work
Remember that children’s work does not need to
be improved upon!
Visit visually interesting places with children
If you provide a creative atmosphere and
positive adult support children with create and
have the self-confidence to create.
How should we support
art development?

In Art Activities:


Build slowly, (e.g., one primary color – another
primary color – white & black).
During choice time, at the easel or paint that is
set out, try only primary colors plus black and
white with empty cups to mix colors; children
can create more subtle shades and tones if
they mix their own colors.
Strategies for Appreciating Art
with Young Children


Learning Environment
 Use the illustrations in children’s storybooks as examples of
art
 Bring reproductions and illustrations of fine art into the
classroom
 Observe art as it occurs in nature
Daily Routine
 Incorporate other sensory experiences to enhance children’s
understanding of visual art
 Use art to establish a connection between home & school
 Connect children to art and the creative process in their
communities
Cont’

Adult-child Interactions




Begin with children’s own experiences and
interests
Make sure children feel safe and secure
expressing themselves about art
Develop a language to talk about art
Help children develop a sense of aesthetic
appreciation
Adult Support
Interaction Strategies


Research studies show that the way adults
interact with children in a variety of caregiving,
play and teaching situations play a very important
role in children’s learning and development.
In classrooms where adults are responsiveguiding and supporting children’s activities rather
than directing or controlling them– children take
initiative more often and are more likely to be
actively engaged and persistent in their work.
Phase 3 Finding: As the
number and variety of
materials in settings
increased, children’s age-7
cognitive performance
improved.
© 2003 IEA Preprimary Project, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
Phase 3 Finding: The
less time children spent
in whole group
activities, the better
their age-7 cognitive
performance.
© 2003 IEA Preprimary Project, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
Phase 3 Finding: As the
level of teacher
education increased,
children’s age-7 language
performance improved.
© 2003 IEA Preprimary Project, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation
Enjoy Art Experiences with
Infants and toddlers