ABSTRACT
Art in the early years – the phrase evokes images of young children in colourful aprons up to their elbows in school paint, bright marks on paper clipped to a child-sized easel, little hands furiously pounding, squeezing, or moulding some malleable medium, the unmistakable feel of crayons or smell of play dough. Yet, though scores of us recollect these quintessential childhood art experiences, there is much more to the artistic education of young children than the splashing of paint, or the manipulation of art media. Some of the art lessons children partake in, while devised by educators with the best intentions, often fall short of delivering any educational or developmental benefits. As Part I of this text demonstrates, art in early childhood is often characterised by activities that offer little more than a chance to, perhaps, get messy, or play with art media. What is more, the common non-interventionist approach of merely sitting a child in front of a lump of clay, although seemingly educationally sound, can ultimately lead to boredom and dissatisfaction. Partly because of this widespread practice and narrow view of what art in early childhood could potentially offer, many educators fail to understand the importance of art in the early years, and possess, at best, only a vague notion of how to support the artistic learning of young children.
