Learning in the 21st Century, Early Learning Kindergarten and Beyond

All children have the capacity for

and proficiency at creative processes.

How do we observe, provide for and foster these skills?


Children are capable and competent.

Mistakenly thought of as a trait belonging only to some, there is potential for creativity in all people. (Introduction p.30 Imagine Jonah Lehrer) If we learn more about creativity and support and enrich children's experience of the creative process in all domains then we can better support their development of critical thinking, decision making skills, understanding of concepts, symbolic communication, empathy, relationships and self-esteem. (p. 140 FDELKP Document - The Arts Overview)

"Children have an innate openness to artistic activities" [Big Idea - The Arts] so we use this to foster creativity and critical thinking. As well, if we as adults understand more about creativity we can learn how to capitalize on our own creative talent. (Introduction p.30 Imagine Jonah Lehrer)

Creativity is defined in the dictionary as “the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.”

Children of the 21^st century need to be as aware and creative as they can be. The breakneck speed at which our culture is evolving requires divergent, open-minded thinkers who can navigate our complex, global, and evolving civilization. (p.5 FDELK Program Document) The challenges we face as a species can only be tackled by the greatest of critical thinkers and innovators. Being adept with the creative process provides for fluent and diverse use of skills in integrated contexts. It supports children to have a range of strategies for effective communication [Language - Big Idea] and thinking about, representing and investigating mathematical concepts. [Math - Big Idea] As older information is used for new creative ideas children (and adults) connect prior knowledge to a new context. [Science - Big Idea] (And this means busy synapses!)

Analyzing Creativity

5 Characteristics of Creative Works

Must be original.
Needs to be relevant.
Defies tradition.
It is elegant.
It exists and is shared.

Children demonstrate creativity with:

Spontaneity (openness/boldness to explore & share)

Imagination (pretending)

Fantasy (creation of imaginary worlds)

Children and people who are especially creative are generally skilled in a particular area, have an ability to consider a range of possibilities, are highly persistent, set high personal standards, work hard and maintain intrinsic motivation. (Ch. 2 – Art and Creative Development for Young Children Robert Schirrmacher)


Creatively using conceptual math understanding of solids.

Texture and colour.

To assess the use of creativity in any domain note the child's use of: elements, process and decision-making. Children will naturally demonstrate creativity throughout the classroom and in different areas. They will demonstrate by saying, doing and/or representing. (p. 25 FDELK Program Document)

In the Arts section (p. 141) of the program document there are examples and explanations of the components of art. To assess artistic growth keep anecdotal notes, checklists and samples. Uncover what the child is expressing by questioning and listening. Through ages 4 and 5 children's representations will begin to be recognizable and they will use art to tell and/or write stories. (Lang OE 4) Co-operation in artistic activities, the appreciation of diversity and communicating ideas about music develop around 5.

(Ch. 3 – Art and Creative Development for Young Children Robert Schirrmache)

See “How to uncover the natural creative abilities in your child” by Jane M. Healy, Ph.D.

For more information on uncovering and assessing creativity.

The creative process is often collaborative.

Materials, Resources and Experiences in the Arts

Art and multimedia in the FDELKP are focused on the creative process. Arts are an integral part of the FDELK program and children develop and demonstrate skills across every domain through dance, music, visual arts and drama. (p. 140 FDELK Program Document The Arts Overview)

Children should have opportunities to express themselves through the arts.
The environment over time should have a wide variety of materials, resources and experiences that offer different ways of doing, showing and telling through all arts disciplines. Art is a vehicle to represent and discover cultural diversity.

To deeply get involved in the arts children need “time to imagine, create and explore in a non-threatening environment where they know their individual choices and responses are respected and valued."(ibid)

Materials & Creativity

Sometimes only certain materials may be available to guide and provoke the children to focus and think about an element such as colour (see picture). This controlled pallet intentionally has children exploring and thinking about a concept.

The element of line.

Ambiguous and open-ended dress-up clothing, real household items, co-construction and set-up of new role play ideas, opportunities for guided drama through movement, a dollhouse and puppet theatre with chances for children to actively construct things for them supports creativity and drama.

Various instruments to use, many different kinds of music to listen to and chances to dance, technology that explores sounds, and things to create instruments supports creativity and music/dance.

Resources

Eric Carle illustrations

Books that display different artistic styles and dances, stories that relate to their current interests for role play and imitation. Books with creative ideas to use as thought-provoking or as a jump-off point (see Not a Box), a diversity of instruments, computer technology that allows children to hear sounds, chime-in books, space to move, variety of familiar and unfamiliar things.

Experiences

Artists, performers or creators can speak with and work with children, watch videos of dance, drama, music or artists and their processes. Chances to transform materials and experiment (e.g. Mixing paint). Problems to solve and support in thinking critically about their process and product.

Children can watch you model technique.

Modelling

Ask if the child needs help.
Ask leading question or suggest another approach.
Show only part of needed process.
Verbally explain it as it is being done.

The Creative Process consists of:

knowledge – what we already know

motivation – inner drive to accomplish

skill – development of expertise using tools and materials

immersion – intense focus on creating

incubation – thinking and processing

production – tangible expression
(Ch. 2 Art and Creative Development for Young Children Robert Schirrmacher)

Nurturing Creativity

Expose children to many different arts.

Expand knowledge by talking about the arts (line, shape, colour, etc.), using arts vocabulary, giving a wide array of experiences and accepting all individuals and their knowledge bases.

Model divergent thinking (having many different solutions to problems). Show a diversity of possible solutions, be open and talk about alternative viewpoints.

Support motivation by being flexible and capitalizing on their interest, have choices be open-ended, be surprising and do unexpected things to inspire, be on the lookout for emergent problems.

Responding

-use positive feedback – tell the child precisely what they did well if it will help them later

-praise the behaviour, efforts and achievements or product not the child

Language Matters: There is a fixed-mindset or growth-mindset message sent through praise.

Our praise always needs to send the message that “you are a developing person and I am interested in your development” rather than “you have permanent traits and I'm judging them.”

-avoid praise creating competition

"I see you found a shape that looks like ..."

-avoid value judgements – notice rather than praising the child (e.g. say “I see you used two different colours and”... rather than “I like how you used different colours...)

-use descriptive statements in discussion with a child about their art to describe artistic decisions and concepts to increase their understanding

-ask questions focusing on art elements, process, and decisions

-challenge them to predict, create an effect, connect events or find the cause