The visual arts can be an effective teaching tool in the early childhood classroom. Many states now have early learning standards that are reflective of the necessity for arts integration within the curriculum. The need for activities that encourage young children to explore processes and materials, represent ideas and concepts through artistic means, and develop fine motor abilities is vital to classroom lesson planning.
Starting an Early Childhood Art Lesson Plan
Begin by outlining important lesson objectives and concepts. These may take on two forms. The first objectives are for the educator (as lesson planner and teacher):
- Integrate the art activity into the overall unit and curriculum. Although stand alone art activities are a great addition to the early childhood classroom, a well connected art project may provide clarity to other concepts and enhance learning.
- Develop a well structured or detailed activity step list. This is an important part in creating a positive learning environment. A well structured activity that gives children clear directions will eliminate classroom chaos, help to improve sequencing skills, and allow the children to experiment with art within a framework.
- Utilize process oriented activities alone and within product based lessons. For example, an animal painting has an outcome (the animal) but will also encourage the children to explore with process (the paint). Process activities will encourage young children to explore with materials and artistic processes such as painting, clay modeling, collage, or drawing. Process activities (even those that are simply the exploration of a material such as clay) should have specific steps of guidelines. If the class is doing free painting, the teacher should first explain and steps or rules.
The second set of objectives will be for the children. These will vary based on specific classroom activities. Examples of this type of objective include:
- Explore art materials and process
- Increase awareness of art and basic art elements (shape, line, color, texture)
- Represent thoughts or stories in an artistic form
- Develop color recognition skills
- Build vocabulary skills
Creating a Concept for the Plan
This is very closely tied to the objectives. Look for an overall concept of frame for the activity/project. The concept should integrate well within the current classroom theme or curriculum. If the class is discussing outer space this week, a rocket ship collage may be a better choice than a self-portrait painting.
Open ended process and material explorations can also fit into current thematic units. Sometimes cutting and gluing just for fun is a great idea, but this basic process can easily be connected to the curriculum. For example, if the class is focusing on a specific color such as red, give the children a variety of red papers and other materials (fabric, felt, or tissue) and encourage process exploration with cutting and gluing. The outcome of this collage may not look like a specific object, but it will allow the children to experiment with process while connecting the art making to a classroom concept.
Building an Art Activity Plan
After the concept and objectives are clear, it is time to write down a step by step plan. It is helpful to create a simple project prototype first. This will allow the educator to explore the best sequence for the activity steps, and estimate the length of time that it will take to create the project.
Make sure to include pre-activity steps. These steps include:
- Any pre-activity discussion
- Related book reading
- Related picture or artwork viewing
- Room set up such as pouring paint onto trays or gathering a variety of brushes
Bring Out the Artist Within
Not every teacher is a naturally born (or trained) artist. This does not mean that art should be limited to crayons and markers for lack of artistic inclination. Young children do not know the difference between Miss Mary the preschool teacher and Monet. There are vast amounts of information on art materials and processes to be found in books or on the internet. Additionally, look for professional development opportunities taught by artist educators or offered by arts organizations. These may boost artistic confidence and provide an educator with some new lesson planning ideas.
Creating an art lesson for young children can be challenging. Start with specific objectives that will support a chosen concept, and then make a detailed list of process steps to follow. A well constructed activity lesson plan will help to integrate the arts into any early childhood classroom.
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