As we begin to explore the value of process
art for young children, let’s first take a moment to distinguish the difference between
process-focused art experiences and product-focused experiences. So…what is the difference? Let’s start with product-focused experiences. These typically begin with end-product in
mind. The adult usually chooses an end product and
the children use designated materials and follow a specific set of instructions to create
the final product. These experiences tend to be more craft-like
in nature and the emphasis is really on achieving the desired end-product. If children are cutting out patterns, coloring
in lines or copying a model – it’s likely a product-focused experience. With these experiences, there is little opportunity
for children to make choices or express their creativity. In fact, children may even have a hard time
identifying their own work when it’s on display because all of the finished products
are so similar. Because these experiences are often very adult-directed,
you may even find that the children lack motivation to become engaged in the experience. Because there is typically one “right way”
to complete the product, you might see children feeling frustrated or wanting to give up if
they can’t seem to get it “just right.” Process-focused art experiences, on the other
hand, are the opposite of product-focused experiences. Process art is child-directed, choice-driven
and celebrates the experience of discovery. In process art, the final product will be
unique and the focus is really on the process of creating and not the final outcome. Process art is open-ended and playful in nature. There is no one right way to do it. Children can engage with materials at their
developmental level and in ways that interest them. Children are motivated to learn about various
materials and to make decisions about how to use them as they explore and discover. A child’s final artwork may not look like
anything and that’s okay because it’s really about exploring, experimenting and
learning from what they are creating. It’s all about letting children try out
a variety of techniques, tools and processes as they engage in artful experiences and find
ways to express their feelings, thoughts and ideas. Over time, and with experience, children’s
artwork will start to evolve from simply exploration to more tounplanned expressions to to to more representation. As children imagine, experiment and investigate
creative materials, they learn how different types of media can be used to communicate. They should have opportunities to draw, paint,
cut, tear, glue, shape, sculpt, mold, and construct. When we approach art like open-ended play,
we can provide a variety of materials and follow children’s lead. These types of experiences support children’s
gross-motor and fine-motor development as they use their bodies, their hands and their
fingers. Their cognitive development is supported as
they plan, predict, observe, problem-solve and think critically about their own work. Their social-emotional development will flourish
as they are able to try new ideas and experience success. Process art allows children to relax, focus
and express their thoughts and feelings. It also offers many opportunities for children
to work together with their peers. Their language development is supported when
children talk about their artwork and describe their unique creations. We can support their literacy development
when we write down what they say about their work. This helps them see the connection between
the spoken word and the written word. We can talk with children about their artwork. Instead of using general praise statements
like, “Good job” or “I love your painting,” we can acknowledge their work by describing
in more detail what we see, noticing their efforts and encouraging the children to talk
about their processes and creations. We might say, “I see that you are creating
a sculpture with those cardboard boxes, look how you have stacked them on top of each other.” or “You have been painting for a very long
time…I can tell that you are very focused,” or we might just say “Tell me about your
picture.” This lets children know that we are interested
in their work and their efforts. It also supports them to think about their
work in new ways. We can also be very intentional about using
rich vocabulary words while we describe what we see. We can help children see themselves as artists
as we honor and display their work in an attractive manner. When hanging children’s artwork, it’s
important to display it at children’s eye-level so they can appreciate and admire their own
work and the work of their peers. When we provide children with opportunities
to engage in process-art experiences, we support their creativity, their imaginative thinking
and their development across all domains.