Structuring the Art Environment

Art activities are an important aspect of young children’s educational development. Adults can provide a wide variety of activities

• cognitive skills
• motor skills
• social skills
• verbal and nonverbal communication skills

Teachers can help develop children’s artistic ability by encouraging them to talk about their artwork; displaying examples of adult artwork throughout the classroom for the children to view [Dyson, A. (1990) Symbol makers- symbol weaver: How children link play, pictures, and print. Young Children, 45(2), 50-57.)]; and incorporating strategies to integrate a variety of curriculum areas into arts activities, including language arts, science, and other content areas [(Schirrmacher, R. (1993). Art and creative development for young children (2nd ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar.]

There are four dimensions to structuring the environment in early childhood programs:

• time
• space
• materials
• activities

A wide range of teacher strategies can be used in the art environment, depending on the child, the disability, and the learning situation.

These strategies include:

• direct exploration
• observational learning or modeling (learning by observing another child or an adult engaged in the activity)
• peer tutoring
• teacher tutoring
• teacher direction

Structuring Time

Art activities can be integrated into daily schedules. Ample time should be scheduled for art activities rather than adhering to strict time periods. In this way, children who are attending to an activity can complete it rather than be interrupted. Art activities can take place during free choice time, activity time, and play time in the classroom or at home.

Many young children, those with or without disabilities, have problems with transitions, especially if they are focused and involved in a project. Proven positive transition strategies include announcing to the children five minutes in advance that clean-up time is approaching, plus giving reminders every couple of minutes; or using a recording of soft relaxing music to cue clean-up time.

Music can be used to signal when clean-up starts and ends. The music cue strategy is very effective as well as relaxing. During clean-up time, try assigning children specific tasks to do related to the activity they were working on. An example of this could be, “Susan, you can hang up your paint shirt and wash the paintbrushes you used.” Giving multistep directions helps the children sequence and focus on tasks. Allow a good 10-15 minutes for the clean-up process to give children time to sort, clean, and feel positive about putting their special art projects away.

Structuring Space

Space should be organized to facilitate a variety of art activities.

• Locate the classroom’s art center close to a sink in a well-lit area. If a sink is not available, a bucket of soapy water (well supervised for safety) and towels can be used.
  
• The art center should be near a window to provide natural lighting to the area. Providing sufficient room around furniture for easy, open movement is essential to accommodate a worktable that can be used with child-sized chairs as well as wheel chairs.
  
• Set up easels out of the main traffic area to prevent them from being knocked over.

View Sample Early Childhood Classroom Floor Plan

The physical environment can be adapted so a broader range of activities are accessible to children with visual impairments.

• One successful strategy is accompanying the child who is vision impaired on a tour of the art, music and movement, and dramatic play centers; helping him or her learn the location of tables, supplies, and materials; and providing tactile guides in the room. Also, make sure to provide extra light in the art area.
  
• A low bookcase serving as a room divider provides storage space for materials, allows classroom visibility for the teacher, and secures the area from becoming a main traffic area.
  
• The bookcase is ideal for storing plastic bins holding an assortment of paper in a rainbow of colors, textures, and weights.
  
• Other bins can hold glue, paste, scissors, adaptive scissors, rollers or brayers, brushes, assorted markers, crayons, play dough and clay, stamp pads, and assorted stamps.
  
• A drying line can be strung along the wall to dry paintings.

The ideal floor covering is tile or linoleum. If the room is carpeted, an old shower curtain, a drop cloth, or a Plexiglas desk mat under the easels will catch spills. Finished artwork can be mounted.

View “Displaying Children’s Artwork”

Although music and movement activities can take place throughout the classroom, a special center for equipment is necessary. This center can also serve as the space for group music activities. A record player, cassette player, or CD player with headphones should be available for children to use during free choice time. Low shelving units can hold instruments and other equipment as well as serve as a divider for the area.

• The dramatic play area needs to be large enough for several children to use.
  
• If children use walkers or wheelchairs, wider spaces need to be provided between the stove, tables, and props.
  
• To encourage flexibility, allow children to rearrange and move furniture in the dramatic play area to further enhance their play. Furniture can be returned at the end of the day.
  
• It’s not important to return the furniture to a set pattern on a daily basis, but this activity uses spatial intelligence and visual memory skills.

Structuring Materials

Art materials and tools, including adaptations, need to be easily accessible to children and placed at their eye level. Such accessibility makes art activities more inviting and motivating than a haphazard arrangement where supplies and tools are inaccessible.

The minimum of basic art supplies include:

• paper of all kinds
• developmentally appropriate drawing and painting tools
• non-toxic paint
• adhesives
• play dough
• scissors
• a variety of found materials

Set-up and clean-up materials and equipment should be accessible and available. For a child with visual disabilities, try observing which colors are most easily seen by the child, then supply materials in those hues.

When introducing new materials, it is best to give children extra time to touch and explore them.

When finger painting, a color of paper that contrasts strongly with the color of the finger paint can be used. Sand, salt, or other materials can be added to the fingerpaint for a change of texture.

A variety of musical instruments also need to be available to children during free choice times so children can explore and make sounds.

A rhythm set is a good start and can be added to as the budget permits. Instruments from different cultures such as a rain stick or a guiro are also good to encourage exploring new sounds.

Adding scarves, streamers, a parachute, or a large sheet to the music and movement center encourages moving to music. Puppets, flannel board characters, and other props can also be added to the area.

Link to Resources Area.

Structuring Activities