Teaching young children in a museum setting can be a daunting task. Children of preschool age and under often want to explore the world through highly tactile means. This frequently translates into touching or grabbing objects in order to experience textures or even interesting looking colors and patterns. Thus, bring a young child into a gallery setting (in which touching the art is absolutely not allowed) becomes a trying task for any arts educator.
Who Should Teach Young Children in a Museum?
Early childhood educators know that teaching the young child requires different tactics, strategies, and often content as compared to that found in a classroom full of older children or adolescents. When planning a museum based art lesson, it is crucial that the arts educator by knowledgeable (and mindful) of the age groups’ developmental stage. Therefore, any educator attempting to create and implement an early childhood art program within a museum should be well versed in current and accepted developmental theory. This includes both specific art education concepts as well as general development.
Qualities to look for or have in an appropriate early childhood arts educator may include:
- Knowledge of art materials and process.
- Knowledge of art specific child development sequences.
- The ability to adapt art viewing or art making lessons in accordance with a child’s needs and age.
- An understanding of general developmental milestones or markers for all domains including physical, emotional, social, and cognitive.
- Creative thinking in terms of engagement and instructional strategies.
- Patience.
Additional qualifications may include:
- At least a college degree in child development, early childhood education, or a related area.
- College level training or a degree in studio arts, arts education, or art history.
- Experience working with young children in a variety of settings.
Even the best high school arts educator may falter when working with young children. It is vital that teachers of the very young have a quality background and understanding of that age group. It would be a misconception to believe that an early childhood arts program is simply a watered down version of an elementary, middle, or high school art class.
Art Education Basics for Young Children
Young children are just beginning to learn art basics. For some this may mean simply opening a glue stick, naming a color, or learning what a shape is. It should not be expected that children of preschool age or younger know or understand art vocabulary words such as sketch, collage, or primary color. These must be taught. Early childhood art educators can gently introduce these concepts using examples, art making explorations, and even storybooks.
Museum Based Art Classes for the Young Child
Museum based art classes often take early childhood art education one step further. Instead of only preparing and administering an art making lesson, these classes often involve art viewing and art making components.
An early childhood museum educator must be cognizant of the child’s environment when entering an area filled with untouchable art works. Additionally, creative viewing strategies are often needed to engage the young child with the art work visually. Examples of engagement strategies may include:
- Having an art scavenger hunt.
- Telling a related story.
- Asking the children to make up a story based on the art.
- Giving the children something to hold or feel while viewing the art. For example, a texture board that features different objects may help the children to make connections with what is viewed, and keep small hands off of the art.
- Drawing or other simple art making activities.
Planning to Bring the Young Child Into a Museum
Several decisions must be made before bringing a group of very young children into a museum or gallery setting. What will be the time limit for the class? Are parents invited or needed? Will there be an accompanying art making experience? What is the criteria for selecting artwork to be viewed?
Answers to these questions will be guided by the program goals and more specifically the lesson plan. Additionally, several other factors must be decided upon before entering any type of gallery space:
- Quieting cues
- Rules and the enforcement of the rules
- Acceptable materials use
- Appropriate viewing matter
When embarking on a museum based early childhood arts class it is important that the educator have an acceptable degree of developmental knowledge. This will help to guide lesson planning decisions and class instruction. Early childhood arts programs should be engaging, and cater to the age group. This may mean adapting traditional art viewing or art making strategies to the younger audience.
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