February 1: Art and Development

Discuss the role of art in children's development. How are the cognitive and fine motor skills developed in art essential to the holistic development of a child? Discuss this reading as it relates to Dewey's notions of internal conditions of the learner. How does the art educator respond to the individual needs of the learner while ensuring the continuity of experience?

Art is crucial to the development of children. It expands not only their creative and imaginative capabilities it opens them up to new thinking and new questions and explorations they can apply to the world around them when they view and create art. The fine motor skills are also developed strongly as the children must master small movements and techniques to control their tools and materials. The skills to think and question as well as explain the world around them coupled with the fine motor skill development are crucial as they allow the child to develop in other disciplines. Without them a child would be lost in the science lab where fine motor skills aid in dissection and experimentation or in English where he must take details and tie them together into a story. Art helps strengthen and grow the essential skills that are building blocks of further learning.
In regards to Dewey this idea of building blocks involvement tie in keenly to his works. Dewey feels experience comes from continuity and interaction. Who we are at a given moment in time is a result of our past experiences. Thus we are continually developing and changing as we continue to interact with environments, situations and people. And this in turn determines how we react and interpret various situations. It also explains why these reactions may be different over time.
Understanding that one’s personal experiences over time effect how one engages with new experiences provides art educators with a valuable tool for responding to the individual needs of their learners while ensuring their experiences have continuity. This “tool” is the relationship that the teacher develops with the student. It means that the educator will take the time to know his/her students and to understand their backgrounds. This information is an important factor in planning and implementing engaging lessons.