ERIC Number: EJ1293961
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0004-3125
EISSN: N/A
Preparing Preservice Teachers to Implement Art-Viewing Experiences for Young Children
Art Education, v74 n3 p31-36 2021
Several preservice teachers are scattered on the floor, looking anxiously at parents and their babies as they come into the room. This is their first day at an urban community center in Ohio, where economically disadvantaged parents come to learn parenting skills while their babies are provided with care. Wide-eyed and reluctant, each student is given a baby they will be working with for the morning. One student starts to bounce a baby on their lap while singing a song. The other students follow suit by playing peekaboo or reading a board book. Brightly colored paintings are placed around the room at babies' eye level. One student moves closer to a painting for their child to view. The bright colors captivate the baby as they babble and wiggle with delight. The student, remembering what they learned in class discussions, starts to point out the colors and shapes while using descriptive language to name each one. "Here is a crimson squiggly line," they say as they trace the line on the surface of the painting. The child latches on to every word and starts to rub their tiny hand over the painting's textured surface. Sensory materials are also available for the children to explore, such as rattles with beads that contain similar colors to what are found in the painting, yards of tulle in a rainbow heap, and board books about color. Students make sure that their baby can explore everything in a carefully planned environment. This learning scenario is repeated every Saturday morning, focusing on a different artwork and related sensory materials. Getting to this point of delivering these learning experiences in developmentally appropriate ways presents challenges to these early childhood education students. Most of them have a knowledge of early childhood development, but none have any foundational knowledge of art education and aesthetic engagement. So, where does one start in adequately educating non-art students about art before placement in a field experience? How do students get to the point where they feel comfortable implementing an art curriculum for babies? What foundational information is provided for students to feel successful? All of these questions are addressed in this article. Because the community center's work involves babies, the importance of aesthetic experiences for young children will be addressed first.
Descriptors: Preservice Teachers, Art Activities, Learning Experience, Aesthetic Education, Preservice Teacher Education, Infants, Sensory Integration
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A