In the workshop, we analysed visual art created by children in the early, first and second levels of school. It was interesting to see how the children’s art changed as they moved through primary school. It was clear that as children move through the years, their tasks are more direct but they also become increasingly uncertain of their own abilities.

During the early years of primary school, children’s art may be identified as belonging to the ‘scribbling stage’. At this stage, they use whole-arm actions as well as stabbing motions to create their art (McAuliffe, 2007). One piece of art that caught my eye was this painting of flowers. It is clearly very colourful and eye-catching. It is very creative as it seems to me that the child has experimented with a variety of brush strokes.

 

Moving to the first level, it was clear that the artwork was created as a result of a task set by the teacher as it became more detailed but less creative. It was evident that most of the work I viewed was topic-related however there was room for creativity in the set tasks. For example, the piece of work shown below resembles a sunset over the sea. However, the child has used their imagination by experimenting with different colours.

 

Lastly, in the second level, children are increasingly aware of their culture and surroundings so draw on what’s around them rather than their imagination when it comes to their artwork. This is known as the ‘gang stage’ throughout which children become increasingly aware of others’ art and consequently more self-conscious about their own ability. In my opinion, the child should be incredibly proud of the work they produced in the picture below. The pupil has created an impressive piece of art from either looking at a picture or copying their surroundings.

 

In conclusion, this week’s class has given me a real insight into how art is taught through the years in primary education. I have considered how I hope to teach art in the future, giving my pupils the opportunity to use their imagination not only in the early years but throughout their time at primary school.

 

Reference List

McAuliffe, D (2007) Foundation and Primary Settings. In Teaching Art and Design 3-11 (ed). London: Continuum.