Creative Kids : Art Classes with Helen Savage

	Art Classes with Helen Savage
	CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND CLOSED FOR 2014

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TEACHING
PHILOSOPHY

The Importance Of Art

Access to arts and crafts in childhood is vital to language development and a child's relationship to their inner and outer worlds. Art gives a deep sense of satisfaction and the growing understanding that their expression is unique and wholly their own.

Art provides practice at manipulating the physical world, tools and materials and information and feedback on the nature of matter - bending, cutting, moulding, etc. Tied in with this is the child's intellectual understanding (observational and from memory) of shapes, sizes, colours and forms and how this knowledge builds into a visual and kenesthetic language.

Arts and crafts stimulate problem solving and decision making processes. These are self directed, “What colour shall I use now?” or stimulated by the task or tutor, “How could you stick this together?”

Socially it stimulates imaginative play, verbal interaction, discussion and sharing with others.

Lastly, but definitely not least, when a child is given access to art they are given access to a world in which feelings, thoughts and ideas can be communicated and expressed in ways that language alone can not. That’s a rich world indeed!

helen standing - class

What Will My Child Learn From Each Activity?

Main Focus	Examples of Activities
*Expressive or Intuitive*	Painting, drawing, use of colour, shape and size, and composition and expression of senses and emotions.
*Narrative*	Illustrating an imaginary scene, drawing of people and animals doing things.
Exploring the aesthetic quality of mediums	Experiencing and seeing the effects created when applying paints and dyes and inks and mark making materials. And working with textiles, clay and other construction
*Exploring the physics of mediums*	Tackling the engineering problem solving when Constructing with clay, papier-mâché and other soft, wet, or pliable textiles, paper and card or hard plastics and wood.
*Physical Skill Development*	Pattern copying, cutting, manipulating materials, equipment and tools, and other hand eye co-ordination feats.
*Observational or Structural Perceptual Development*	Observational drawing, structural drawing, copying, 3D construction after reality.
*Conceptual Development*	Learning and application of new art vocabulary; and ideas such as perspective, scale, and placement.
*Cultural*	Understanding the value and place of art in our community by visiting artists, cross pollinating with other art forms, and symbolizing significant events or important dates. Also, exhibiting the students work.

My Guiding Principles

Ideas & Thoughts About The Term 2 Theme: Colour Collision