Chapter 10

Using Work Samples to Look at Creativity “Writing meaningful observations as they are occurring cannot happen in a teacher-directed classroom. The teacher is too busy .” ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

WORK SAMPLES • Children’s drawings, writings, products, inventions • Media: Photos, video, audio tapes • Transcripts of conversations • Anecdotal records of dramatic play episodes ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Uses of Work Samples Advantages • In natural setting, non-teacher directed • Compared over a period of time • Expression of child’s thoughts and feelings Disadvantages • Children’s products are works in progress • May lead observer to draw erroneous conclusions • Reflect inferences of selector • Collection and storage ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What to Do with It • Depending on medium, it can be duplicated for chil d’s portfolio • Shared with child and family as a point of discussion and comparison to work over time • Displayed in classroom (without competition) • Used to explore children ’ s interests and extend with planned activities ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

LOOKING AT CHILDREN ’ S CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT Stages of Children ’ s Art 1. Making marks – experimentation 0 to 2 years, 2. Scribbling – 3. Preschematic – 4 to 7 years, nonrepresentational 4. Schematic – 2 to 4 years, exploration 7 to 9 years, more realistic ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Observing Creativity in Infants and Toddlers • Learning how to create something from “raw” materials • Exploring materials with their senses • Learning different ways to express thoughts and ideas • Learning to make decisions • Developing the ability to share materials and appreciate others’ work • Developing a positive self-concept • Developing and refining fine motor and cognitive activities ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Process vs. Product • Materials presented for exploration • Unique outcomes • Child has freedom to select materials and work • Only child’s hands and ideas in the work • Finished work shown as a model • All works look similar • Teacher/Adult gives directions • Adult “helps” child by contributing to the work or restricting the child’s ideas ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Blocks as a Creative Medium Types of Blocks • Plastic interlocking • Unit blocks • Hollow blocks • Cardboard blocks • Foam blocks • Special building sets • Cube blocks Stages in Block Play • Carry, fill, dump • Stacking, laying • Bridging • Enclosures • Patterns • Naming, representing • Reproducing ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Creativity and Development • Cognitive – Problem solving, logico mathematical skills • Social/Emotional – Expression, sharing, cooperation • Physical – Involves refinement of large and small muscles • Language – Expands descriptive vocabulary, symbolic representation ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Comparison of Stages NOTE SIMILARITIES OF TRANSITION BETWEEN STAGES • Cognitive – Piaget • Creative – Kellogg, Lowenfeld • Language • Writing • Social Emotional – Erikson ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Talking with Children about Their Work CONSIDER NOT … • Complimenting • Judging • Valuing • Questioning • Probing • Correcting • Psychoanalyzing • Modeling PRACTICE • Describing – Color – Patterns – Process – Attention – Relationship to experiences – Concepts ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Standard Related to Young Children and Creativity Child Development Associate (CDA) Functional Area 7: Creative Candidate provides opportunities that stimulate children to play with sound, rhythm, language, materials, space, and ideas in individual ways and to express creative abilities.

Chapter 10 Using Work Samples to Look at Creativity “Writing meaningful observations as they are occurring cannot happen in a teacher-directed classroom.

Transcript Chapter 10 Using Work Samples to Look at Creativity “Writing meaningful observations as they are occurring cannot happen in a teacher-directed classroom.

Chapter 10

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