Understanding Young Children's Three‐Dimensional Creative Potential in Art Making

Abstract

This article explores aspects of young children's three‐dimensional development in art making. Understanding young children's three‐dimensional awareness and development is often a neglected area of early childhood educators' education and practice and often children's creative potential is not fully realised. The present article is based on a small scale qualitative study which focused on understanding 5–6 year‐olds' representational intentions in three‐dimensional artworks, understanding of visual/design concepts and expressive use of media (scrap paper and mod roc). The findings of the study suggest that young children are able to create satisfying three‐dimensional representations giving emphasis on forms, uprightness, balance, movement and modeling of multiple sides.

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“…Student access to three-dimensional learning opportunities are disproportionate to those of two-dimensional learning opportunities, therefore much is to be learned from students gaining access to three-dimensional art-making (NAEP, 2008(NAEP, , 2016Pavlou, 2009). "Certain children are concrete three-dimensional thinkers caught…in a paper and pencil desert!"…”

“…If you ask a teacher, they may offer several rationales: 1) Space, both in respect to working space and storage space; 2) Lack of confidence in students' abilities to engage with materials; or 3) Personal inexperience, and thus scant professional confidence, with threedimensional engagement or implementation (Douglas & Jaquith, 2009;Pavlou, 2009). Victoria Pavlou (2009) conducted a case study which examined young children's three-dimensional artmaking capabilities and teachers' preconceived notions of young children's three-dimensional artmaking potential. Her study provided evidence supporting young children's ability to represent and express ideas within three-dimensions.…”

“…Her study provided evidence supporting young children's ability to represent and express ideas within three-dimensions. As for the educators, Pavlou (2009) explains:…”

“…There is a contradiction between learning opportunities currently provided within the art classroom, specifically in relation to form and medium, and contemporary artistic behavior and practice (Gude, 2004;Thompson, 2015;Thulson, 2013). While many art educators continue to focus on art-making within the canon of painting and drawing (NAEP, 2008;Pavlou, 2009), opportunities to engage in contemporary art-making processes are often neglected as teachers take ownership through traditional predesigned projects within the art classroom. Many art educators believe in the importance of choice and student agency; however, choice is typically limited to that of subject or content, rather than form or material, within a highly structured or nearly closed-curriculum.…”