Dear Families of Bard Children s Center and Nursery School: Painting is one of the primary mediums of learning and expression at our school.

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1 Dear Families of Bard Children s Center and Nursery School: Painting is one of the primary mediums of learning and expression at our school. Just like other central experiences including building with blocks, playing outside, and reading children s literature, painting is an activity that is offered daily. Painting is a staple of preschool learning. Painting, at first, appears to be a simple activity, but upon looking closely at children s paintings over the course of the year and several years we see the depth of learning it offers. Child learn about color, line and shape in their painting experience and these concepts offer lessons in spatial relationships, motor development, hand-eye coordination, mixing, matching and inventing colors, vocabulary, storytelling, sequencing, symbolic thinking, self-expression and design. We will be saving your child s paintings over the course of the year. Paintings will be displayed in the classroom regularly and you are welcome to come in to look at the body of work your child is producing at any time. Paintings will be on display at our art show in the spring. We may also be photographing the children s paintings for various early childhood publications, and we sometimes bring children s work to our study groups and to the Early Childhood Institute for reflection and professional development. We will make sure you receive the full collection of your child s art work at the end of the school year. Please enjoy the photos here and especially the chart on the last page as a provocation for thinking about what young children learn through painting and how we can promote a deeper learning experience through our response to their paintings, through our appreciation of the process and, when appropriate, through conversations about their work. Sincerely, The Directors and Teachers at Bard Nursery School and Children s Center There are, of course, many kinds of literacy. But as an object of hope and desire, any literacy will be associated with a yearning to make some sense and to leave that thumbprint on the world imagination will always come into play when becoming literate. -Maxine Green

2 Through art and play, children represent thought and action, which underpins their later understanding of the second languages of reading, writing and numbering. -Susan Wright Through exploring materials, the child discovers sensations, satisfactions, and meanings that attach to being human in a physical world; sensuality, cause and effect, transformation of form, the communicative properties of materials, the pleasures and frustrations in trying to master them. Nancy Smith

3 Symbol making is the essence of being human. -Susan Wright Painting is just another way of keeping a diary... For those who know how to read, I have painted my autobiography - Pablo Picasso, 1965

4 The exuberant vitality and freshness of children s paintings excite us. We sense the expressive urges behind them, the joy the children feel in exploration and accomplishment. Nancy Smith Here are some ideas for developing eyes for seeing children s emerging art, appreciating the PROCESS and noticing with children:

5 Within the categories of line, shape and color as a guide, I am better able to use descriptive language while noticing children s work and joining them in conversation. Children paint big and little, touching and not touching, circles, circles filled and empty, circles with marks inside, irregular or rambling shapes. They may mix colors deliberately or use colors that have been mixed by accident. Children need names of the visualgraphic elements, their particular characteristics, and the ways of organizing them. Children should be able to use such phrases as: Straight, curved and wiggly lines Light and dark colors Round, rectangular and smooth shapes Top, bottom and middle of the paper (From Nancy Smith s book, Experience and Art) LINE SHAPE COLOR Kinds of lines Kinds of shapes Kinds of colors Long/short Wiggly/straight Fat/thin Wide/narrow Fast/slow Strong/delicate Dancing/weaving/encircling Big/little Long/short Thin/thick Close together/far apart Growing Separate or touching overlapping Mixed/unmixed Bright/pale Dark/light Similar/different Bold Possible comments Possible comments Possible comments There are so many different ways to make lines You made so many shapes I see some of them are touching You made many different colors. Do you remember how you made this color? You made straight lines they are straight like the edges of the paper This line does so many things it turns here and makes a big sharp zig zag. Look how all these lines are side by side Can you show me where this line starts and ends? What a big shape! It almost goes all the way to the top I wonder, will you make shapes that touch or not touch today? Your shapes are all in the middle of the paper and I see these lines are on the edges. The way you arranged the shapes makes me notice the whole page. Some paintings are made with big shapes and some are made with little shapes and some are made with both. I wonder what size your shapes will be? This color looks very bright next to this dark color. I wonder which colors you will choose today? Do you want to start with light colors or dark colors? It looks like you invented a new color. I wonder what we would call that color? Line/Shape/Color by Judy Cook