process vs product

Perhaps you're already familiar with the phrase "process vs product art". While educators would recognize this through their formal training, many daycare providers, recreation counselors, parents, or nannies may not have been exposed to these concepts.

Young children learn through exploration and experimentation. Its the process of completing a lesson whether through the steps involved, the manipulation of the materials provided, or adjusting their expectations to deal with unexpected outcomes that provide them with a learning experience. As adults who provide these experiences it is important for us to know what is developmentally appropriate for children of certain age groups, offer challenging and engaging topics that encourage the evolution of skills, and have accurate expectations of the children in our lives.We foster a sense of independence and positive self-esteem when we allow children to work for themselves.

Facilitate the art process.  Never do it for them.  Before you start a lesson clearly explain to the child or children the materials involved and how they are used.  Although I always have a pre-made example, I often create another with my students as I'm demonstrating  what we are using, how, and the steps involved.  I make a point of discussing alternative ways in which items can be used and different objectives achieved.  There is no right or wrong way.  In the course of talking about the shape of a mouth for the creation of a self-portrait I've had students tell me a mouth is a line.  Discuss the different types of lines you can use.  How is this person feeling? What shapes can be used?  What letters do they resemble?  By asking questions and discussing you encourage them to think about the process and be creative with their responses. 

The following websites contain information on what can be expected of children at different stages of their development.  By becoming knowledgeable about this information we can set realistic expectations for ourselves and them.  Please take time to look at these sites:

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Ed_Art_Milestones_Whats/

http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/creative-arts-milestones/

http://www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html