Kindergarten Art

Everybody has their own method of teaching art. In Kindergarten we do a lot of different kinds of art and for this age it more about the process then the product. 
Once the skill has been taught we usually do quite a few projects with it. Some examples of different techniques that we used this year are paper, collage, box, beading, nature, water colour painting, clay and pastels.

When doing the followup projects I begin with table talk to generate ideas, have a few different samples on hand and then ask the students to make their decision. Then I open my store.

The children loved doing leave art with fresh leaves in the fall

The store is a round table in the centre of the room with the collage materials on it. I also include materials specific to the technique. For example we have been working on habitat as our year long inquiry. Most recently we have been looking at birds and as a wrap-up we compared animals that hatch from eggs with those that do not. Today the students decided which animal they wanted to represent and then shopped at the store for materials.

Here are a few must-dos for this to work:

1. Be consistent in expectations, teaching the routine using the Guided Release Model.
1. Student has already been introduced to the technique.
2. Student has made a decision on what is to be made (i.e.: chick, penguin, fish...).
3. Student visits store to select paper and scissors and works at a table.
4. Student re-visits store as needed for more materials or to trade in scissors for glue.
5. Students tidy up and go to next activity.

I am usually at the store for the beginning and then able to circulate and provide support for some younger students. But really they are so independent at this time of year that I mostly just admire them.
Thanks for stopping by.
Liz :)