This week we were given the opportunity to explore an archive of children’s artwork throughout primary stages – early, middle and upper. Some of the pieces were up to 30 years old, and it is interesting to consider the kind of school environment which facilitated the examples we were able to look at.
In Teaching Art and Design (2007), it is mentioned how Lowenfield and Brittain (1987) broke children’s development in art and design into stages: scribbling (2-4 years), pre-schematic (4-7 years), schematic (7-9 years) and the gang stage (9-12 years). The way in which the archive was laid out did indicate that there is progression through these stages which line up with the stages of primary education, but it is important to consider that in recent years, attitudes towards the notion of “stages” as milestones which children reach at a certain ages, have changed somewhat. Children do not develop so rigidly, and while these stages indicate progression in a visible order, I believe the age at which some children might reach these stages is generally unique to the individual child.
This piece was created by a five year old, in what Lowenfield and Brittain would define as the “pre-schematic” stage, where creativity is evident, though we as adults may not always know what we are looking at. For the example above, I personally was unsure what the child had drawn before checking its label – Dog Hiding Under the Machine. At this stage, perspective in art and design is still very much in development, and a useful note for myself as a future teacher is to ensure that I note down on children’s work what it is. This will enable me to revisit the piece with students in the future without offending the child or disregarding their feelings about their work. It was also important to note, I thought, that even at this early stage, and even earlier, children’s art is representational. It can be easy to dismiss what appears to be merely scribbling, but to that child, it is a way of making meaning. As someone who hopes to nurture creativity in my pupils, this is something that I will always make sure to consider when approaching children’s artwork.
This piece came from what was determined as the “schematic” stage – middle primary school. It is clear that there is still an element of creativity and confidence in the child’s work and that detail is becoming more prominent as the child’s art and design develops. Middle primary, as a general “stage” seems to me to be something of a reconciliation between children’s innate creativity and the development of a willingness to try, and to instill detail in their work. I believe that at this stage, as a teacher, it is crucial to continue to nurture and bolster pupil’s creativity and individual vision in art and design. The alternative is simply to allow children to become dissatisfied and develop a lack of confidence in their own abilities, which can continue into adulthood. On a personal note, I have been someone who was unwilling to try in more creative subjects in late primary through secondary school due to lack of confidence in my own “skills”, such as they were. Now, at university and studying to become a teacher, I find it is crucial for me to leave that attitude behind and give everything in this module my best shot – because if I can’t be seen to give things a go, how can I expect the children I will teach to be willing to do the same?
This piece came from the upper primary examples – what could be termed as the “gang” stage. In this collection of examples, it was possible to see a distinct decline in individual creativity and more of a move into emulation of others’ art styles – plagiarism, essentially. At this stage, it is likely that there may be a further decrease in self-confidence with regards to artistic ability, and it could potentially be that it is “safer” to copy someone else’s art style as opposed to trying something different. In terms of my own practice, I hope to be able to find a middle ground between learning about other artists’ styles and enabling my pupils to develop and grow into their own individual artistic vision and creativity.
References
McAuliffe,D (2007) Foundation and Primary Settings. In Teaching Art and Design 3-11 (Edited by Sue Cox, Robert Watts, Judy Grahame, Steve Herne and Diarmuid McAuliffe) London: Continuum.
