Fostering Beauty: A Profound Gift to Children

In the Out of the Box Training Kit, "Beauty in the Lives of Young Children," Ruth Wilson writes that "beauty puts us in touch with truth and invites reflection on the more spiritual aspects of life." She explains that while "not all early childhood programs are in a position to provide art studios or art teachers, they can, however do many things to foster young children’s aesthetic sensitivity."

Here are just a few of her suggestions:

• "Use tablecloths, curtains, and attractive rugs to enhance the décor of the room…
• Use artistic posters and other works of art to decorate the room…
• Provide books with beautiful illustrations…look for Caldecott Medal award books.”

And, in the book, Teaching Four-Year-Olds, Carol B. Hillman reminds us of another type of beauty. She writes: "Most of all, I want children to become aware of the beauty of different sounds and their effect on our feelings. I want my classroom to be alive with sounds that please the ear and gladden the heart."

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