ABSTRACT
Creative development has been given a variety of definitions. The widely acknowledged definition of HMI (DES 1985:17) stated that this area of learning was concerned with 'the capacity to respond emotionally and intellectually to sensory experience; the awareness of degrees of quality; and the appreciation of beauty and fitness for purpose'. An important strand of HMI's definition was the way in which the knowledge and skills acquired could make a valuable contribution to other areas of learning and experience. In the High/Scope curriculum (Hohmann, Banet and Weikart 1979:172) the key experience of getting to know and representing emphasises the importance of the sensory experience. It is vital for all nursery-aged children, but particularly three-year-olds to have sensory experiences as this is how children begin to construct their mental representation of an object intellectually. The imitation of actions and sounds and role-playing are other key experiences linked to this area of learning. An awareness of the processes by which children become creatively and aesthetically aware is just as important as the products of creativity. The early learning goals appear to recognise this in their description of the goals as 'relating to the stimulation of curiosity and engagement with a wide range of sensory experiences. They focus on the development of children's imagination and creativity and their ability to explore, express and share ideas and feelings through different forms of communication' (QCA 1999:12). The way in which practitioners achieve this through the experiences they provide for children is crucial. For very young nursery children the provision of a wide range of sensory experiences to allow them to choose what is interesting to them is necessary. Knowledge and understanding of the schema which such young children exhibit provides a sound basis on which to justify the apparent randomness of early learning.
