The Value of Art for the Preschool

Collect It!

By C. Seefeldt|B.A. Wasik

Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall

Art is basic. Of course, every subject area is important, but no program for young children could succeed without emphasizing art. Through making, looking at, and talking about their own artwork and the art of others, three-, four-, and five-year-old children are doing the following:

Expressing their feelings and emotions in a safe way. They learn to control their emotions and recognize that they can express and handle negative as well as joyous feelings through positive action.

  Practicing and gaining fine muscle control and strengthening eye-hand motor coordination. By holding paintbrushes and learning how to control paint, crayons, scissors, and other art tools, children gain the skills necessary for later writing activities as well as a feeling of control over themselves and their world.

Developing perceptual abilities. Awareness of colors, shapes, forms, lines, and textures result as children observe these and try to replicate them through art.

Being given the opportunity to make choices and solve problems. How do you get the legs to stick on a clay figure? What color should I use? Making art offers children a multitude of choices and many decisions to make.

Seeing that others have differing points of view and ways of expressing these than they do. Comparing children’s drawings, paintings, or models gives children concrete, dramatic examples of how different people express the same thing in different ways. While learning that their way is not the only way, they learn to value diversity (Strasser, 2001).

Becoming aware of the idea that, through art, culture is transmitted. Becoming acquainted with the art of the past, children are involved in learning something of their origins and themselves.

Experiencing success. Because art leaves the end open to the creator, all children experience a measure of success. This is why art activities are appropriate for children with special needs. Regardless of the physical or mental need of the child, there is some art media and activity through which he or she can experience success.

Making connections between the visual arts and other disciplines. Art integrates the curriculum. Content from every subject matter can find form through art.

Mathematics. Children become aware of different sizes, shapes, and parallel lines and use every mathematical concept as they discuss their art and the art of others.

Science. Paint changes texture as it dries, powdered paint and chalk dissolve in water, and chalk produces bubbles when dipped in water. Also, paints change color when they are mixed together. The physical sciences are ever present as children produce art.

Economics. This and other concepts from the social studies develop. Children become producers by making art and consumers by using the materials of art.

Language. Children learn to talk about their art and the art of others and develop the vocabulary of art.

Beginning reading. Children make and read symbols that represent reality.

Social skills. By sharing paints and paper, cooperating to create a group mural or other project, and assuming responsibility for cleaning up, children gain valuable social skills through making art.

Reference :http://www.education.com/reference/article/value-art-preschool-children/

Farm Animals

 1:F called me and wanted to show me what he had done.

 2:H told me, "Look sister Fatima, I put all  the cows together".

 3:He was collecting and sorting the different animals.

 4:I was asking him how the hens got on the roof. He answered because they can fly, Mashaallah.

5:Finally he categorized all the farm animals in a different group.

My reflection:
 We introduced the children to farm animals and wild animals, and shared stories, songs, and activities about animal.  After that we set up the farm animal in one corner of our classroom. I was observing F after his art activity he joined to the farm animal corner. He was sitting there and sorting the animals carefully, he removed all the wild animals into one basket, then he dropped all the farm animals on the floor. Each time he was picking up one animal, he was wondering where to put. When he was putting the animal he was telling the name and size of the animal, big cow, small cow, etc. F took lots of time to sort and placed the animal onto different category. The teachers did not interrupt while he was playing. We wanted to observe what was his idea and how he wanted to place the animal. It was amazing the way he sorted and set all the farm animals into different group- which is an important skill for a young child to master.

Our Colour Experiment

Our Colour science experiment with the little scientists.

 We put yellow, blue and red in the test tube with a purple dropper .

 Each child had an opportunity to experiment with the colours.

 M was wondering what happened when blue and yellow mixed together?

 She was surprised when she noticed that the colour become green-she said,  "Oh it's green now!"

 T wanted to try an experiment to see what would happen if she mixed blue and red together.

The teacher was introducing the vocabulary for each container and explaining when and where we use test tubes and droppers.  She was also showing the preschoolers how to use the dropper.

This year most of our preschool children are around three years old. Everything is new and exciting for them. They are enthusiastic to learn about alphabet, shapes, animals, colour and about the beautiful nature from Allah. Those who are a bit older are very eager to share their knowledge with the group and expand on what they already know.

We are gradually trying to know each child's interests, and carefully creating the environment, so that they can learn about the beautiful world Allah the almighty gave to us, Mashaallah. When we were doing the colour mixing experiment children, were not only learning what happen when they mix red and blue or yellow or blue, they were also learning how to use the dropper. They learned the name of various containers and how we use them. We were teaching them important daily living skills, such as how to correctly clean up the table with the cloth when they spilled water on the table. This will give the the confident and responsibility to do something for themselves. When they were using the dropper it helped them to develop their fine motor skill and also their hand and eye coordination. Children were doing this activity with a group where they were taking turns, sharing the dropper, communication, and also helping each other mashaallah.

October Newsletter

Assalamualaikum dear parents,

It is so amazing that this is already our second year and second month of Sprouts of Iman preschool. Mashaallah, most of the children are doing well with the schedule and their new journey of life. It is great to see that they are making connections with each other and are eager to learn about new things. 

Last month we were really focusing on introducing the preschool rules, such as hand washing rules, following the schedule, how to join in, and what to do at group time. We also introduced dua about what to say when you see a person, what to say before they eat etc.  We are still working on a few children to adjust to the preschool, and Juzaka'allahu Khairun parents for being very supportive and cooperative with us.


This month is the month of Hajj and Eid ul Adha, so we started to give information to our preschoolers about Hajj and Eid.  They have already seen some video visuals about Hajj, Kaba and dua Labbayek Allahum Labbayek-----Mashaallah.

• Inshaallah we will celebrate our Eid party on October 29th 2012.

October School Closures

• October 8th public holiday
• Ocotober 19th Pro D day
• October 25th and 26th –depend on BCMA announcement. about Eid UL ADHA.

Reminder:

• Please provide weather appropriate clothing.  Sometimes it is very cold when we go outside, also rain is uncertain in the Vancouver area.

• Our school is peanut free and I will appreciate if you avoid junk food for your child.

• I have already posted volunteer schedule time sheet.  If you want to help us, please fill it out.

• I will post a list of items that we need on the parent board.   If you like to donate, we would really appreciate anything you can provide.

Juzaka'allahu khairun & have a wonderful Eid with your family.
Fatima