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3 - Early Experiences and Creativity: An Ecological Perspective

from SECTION ONE - CREATIVITY AND REASON IN CHILDHOOD AND THE SCHOOLS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2016

By
Cynthia Paris  and
Diane Crossan Lawler
Edited by
James C. Kaufman  and
John Baer
Cynthia Paris
Affiliation:
University of Delaware
Diane Crossan Lawler
Affiliation:
University of Delaware
James C. Kaufman
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
John Baer
Affiliation:
Rider University, New Jersey
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Summary

Diane's art studio is located at the center of a school building that houses a diverse population of children from four years old through eighth grade. The studio is physically and philosophically central to the work that takes place in the building yet intentionally designed as a space apart. When Diane meets with children before their first visit to the studio, she starts the process of defining what is different there and what is possible there and welcomes them into a context and culture that nurtures, honors, and supports the creative process. From that point forward, each time children approach the door to the studio, she quietly asks them to pause and think about this question: Are you ready to be artists? This moment of focus marks the physical and psychological boundary between this space and many others in a child's life.

The space communicates this clearly to children. Materials and tools are arranged to stimulate eyes and mind and are accessible to the children. “Is all this stuff for kids to use?” some will ask. Yes, children's planning, doing and meaning-making happen here.

Shelves with work-in-progress are clearly visible. Thinking and doing are not time bound by class periods. Children have time for finding and re-finding the intention of their work and defining and redefining problems encountered as Diane introduces new information, new strategies and new ways of thinking. Children critique their work against their initial intentions and practice decision making as they determine when a piece of work is complete.

“Is there really a rabbit in here?” Claude Monet, the studio rabbit, does indeed live here and moves around the studio freely while the children work. He plays a critical role in creating and maintaining a climate of calm and focus and where all children, all work, and a rabbit are respected and safe.

Each time children enter the studio, knowledge about themselves and their worlds and flexible, generative, and critical thinking not only coexist but also thrive and grow here. “This place is different.”

As we consider the development of creativity and the acquisition of knowledge and analytic skills in early childhood we do so from an ecological perspective. Simply put, context matters. A child develops within interacting environmental systems made up of particular individuals and communities within institutions and overarching societal norms.

Type
Chapter
Information
Creativity and Reason in Cognitive Development , pp. 33 - 51
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2016

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