Co‐player and co‐artist: New roles for the adult in children's visual arts experiences

Abstract

An important implication of the body of recent theory and research into children's play and children's artistic and aesthetic development, is that the role of the teacher as supportive facilitator with a hands‐off, non‐interventionist approach, should change. Development is fostered and learning opportunities maximised when the teacher plays a more active role within the context of the child‐centred, process‐oriented curriculum. This paper proposes that new understandings of children's artistic and aesthetic development be integrated with changing attitudes towards the role of the adult in children's play, particularly imaginative (fantasy) play. Suggestions are made for ways in which teachers may intervene creatively in children's artmaking, as well as extend these activities into further areas of aesthetic experience.

The ideas on which this paper is based were developed during an Outside Studies Program granted by Macquarie University. I would like to thank: Macquarie University; the British Council and selected London pre‐schools and schools for enabling me to see programs in action; Prof. Lois Lord, Bank Street College of Education, New York; Muriel Silberstein Storfer, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and Karen Neubert, Artist in Residence, Pacific Oaks College, California, for graciously allowing me to observe their children's classes; and the University College of S. Queensland and Yvonne Winer, Child Development Unit, for inviting me to work as Visiting Artist with children.

Key words:

• Visual arts
• symbolisation
• imaginative play
• adult‐child interaction