Responding Appropriately to Children's Art

As you respond to children’s artwork, keep the following guiding principles in mind:

• Treat child artists and their work with respect. Let children know that their work is valued by displaying it proudly, helping them transport it home safely, and finding something positive to say about their work (Rankin, 1995).
• Emphasize feelings and responses. Rather than treating art as an assembly task or an exercise in following directions, encourage children to explore emotions via the arts.
• Suggest alternatives when children seem stalled or frustrated. Ask questions that will help children to take a different approach or perspective rather than falling into a rut or quitting in frustration. Encourage children to persist when tasks are challenging rather than becoming discouraged if the way to proceed is not clear or obvious.
• Help children sort out what is essential from what is unnecessary. Teach them the skill of emphasizing what is most important in their creative products and help them understand that many times “less is more” and aesthetic experiences are improved by the elimination of extraneous details.
• Guide children in doing their best. Do not encourage or accept slapdash work. When it is clear that children did not produce their best work, try to find out why and give them an opportunity to revise and excel.
• Recognize children’s efforts. Encourage self-evaluation and avoid a contest mentality. It is better to encourage all children than to single out a few for prizes (adapted from Cohen & Gainer, 1995).

Generally speaking, it is best to rely on artistic elements when discussing art with very young children. You could comment on color (“Look at all that yellow, Ishaka!”), on arrangement (“Lester, you covered the whole page with paint”), texture (“This clay feels smooth now that you rolled it out”), line (“I see the interesting patterns you made with the toothpick and paint on your paper, Claudia”), or shape (“Stevie and Alexei made lots of small round bubbles. Kerri and Man-Li made one big long bubble”). For older children who are creating representational art, it is best to follow the children’s lead. You might begin by saying, “Tell me about your picture,” and then follow the child’s lead in the discussion. It is best to really notice what children are working to accomplish through art and remark on it rather than pass judgment on the quality of the work.