Learning Through Art

Children love the process of applying paint to paper, gluing things together, and pounding a lump of clay. Working with art materials allows children to be spontaneous in their experiments with color, shape, and texture. Among the many benefits of art for the young child are the following:

• Art promotes creativity


• Exploring a variety of art media is enjoyable


• Working with art materials develops physical skills such as eye-hand coordination and control over small muscle movements


• Artwork instills pride in accomplishments

For the preschool child, it is the process of creating that is important, not the product. Through their art, children express how they feel, think, and view the world. Art is an outlet that lets children convey what they are not able to say in words. Using art materials also encourages children to make choices, try out ideas, plan, and experiment. They learn to examine the properties of an art material and discover, through trial and error, what materials can do or how they can be used. It is through art that children are able to learn at the same time that they are expressing themselves and having fun.

Stages of Art:

• Disordered scribbling and painting


• Controlled scribbling and painting


• Naming a picture that was not planned


• Representational drawing