Do you remember having something that was unique, colorful, or challenging to create and play with. A strong majority of the K4 and Kindergarten students that come to my Art classroom, or my Title 1 school do not have these memories or opportunities at home. They are lacking this creative spark.
The students that come to my Art class attend a Title 1 School.
Many of the little ones that I get do not even know how to hold a pair of scissors much less cut with them. The look on their faces when we get into our centers are priceless. They love, and I mean love to cut, draw, glue, build, and create. Many of these little ones have one parent homes and live with many siblings and cousins in very small rented homes. Toys and art supplies are not necessary and they come with very little skills that would enhance their artistic experiences. They are born with a love of art, but have trouble with the manipulation of art tools necessary to express themselves due to a lack of funds at home.
My Project
These resources will be utilized in centers in the art room setting. With the centers that I have already created and with the awesome choices available through Amazon, my students will be overwhelmed and Ignited! These little ones are very different from the students I have worked with in areas where there are two parents at home and many resources available to them. Rather these children come from homes that do not offer a variety of choices, but rather minimal necessities--if that. These activities will allow my Kindergarten and K4 students to experience at school what others their age have available at home. They will develop their fine motor skills along with their sense of creativity. Besides that, they will build their social skills by sharing and enjoying one another. All of this is something that the TV, which seems to be their main outlet, cannot do for them.
This project is so important to me because I can truthfully say that I have seen the change in my students from the use of Art Centers.
In the past I used to do basic art projects which amounted to me telling them what I thought they should be creating. They were never as spontaneous and creative as when I introduced this concept of centers into their weekly schedule. I think their world has been too delegated and the need is more about choices and thought processes, not mine, but theirs
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