Aesthetics in the Classroom

05/26/2008

When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.
Alexander Den Heijer

Writing in Beginnings Workshops Book #5 - Curriculum: Art, Music, Movement, Drama, Bernard Spodek talks about approaching art as a discipline in early childhood programs by addressing four components: (1) art production; (2) art history; (3) art criticism; and (4) aesthetics. In elaborating on "aesthetics" in the classroom, Spodek observes...

"There are many ways in which we can make children more sensitive to the beauty that surrounds them and help them understand the aesthetic elements in their culture. This requires that we surround the children with things that are beautiful and make the school setting more aesthetically pleasing.

"An example of this can be found in traditional Japanese homes and inns which contain a tokonoma. This is an alcove that is devoted to the display of something beautiful — a scroll, a flower arrangement, or a ceramic piece, for example. The display adds beauty to the surroundings. You often see such a beauty area in Japanese kindergartens as well.

"You could establish your own tokonoma, or beauty display area, in your room, just as you might have a science or nature display area. An art reproduction or a vase of flowers could be tastefully displayed in this area. You could change the display regularly. Each time a new display is put up, it would help to discuss the display with the children: Why do we consider it beautiful? What do the children like about it?

You could also display the children's artwork in special ways. A few pictures — possibly simply framed — could be displayed carefully on a special section of a wall, or the children's clay work could be displayed in your own tokonoma. A piece of cloth draped over a box or large block makes an attractive pedestal for children's clay work."

Check out the Exchange Curriculum Tool Kit

Beginnings Workshop Book #5 is part of Exchange's Curriculum Tool Kit which brings you Exchange's popular curriculum resources at highly discounted price tag. The Curriculum Tool Kit includes:

Beginnings Workshop Book #5 — Curriculum: Art, Music, Movement, Drama
Beginnings Workshop Book #4 — Curriculum: Brain Research, Math, Science
Hearing Everyone's Voice: Educating Young Children for Peace and Democratic Community
Connecting: Friendship in the Lives of Young Children
The Wonder of It: Exploring How the World Works
Out of the Box Training Kit: Recognizing the Essentials of Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum

Coggols Cognitive Connectors to advance number and letter skills. Designed to fit a variety of levels, Coggols game like structure provides children with many opportunities for fun and success as they learn and practice essential pre-reading, pre-writing and early number skills.

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