How art helps children to be expressive, imaginative, and communicative in nature? Well, experts said artistic endeavours and self-directed exploration through art will allow children to create a milieu about humanity and human rights.
This was brought to light at the 7th International Art in Early Childhood Biennial Conference in Paro, which ended on Tuesday.
The conference’s core of discussions was on encouraging and supporting visual art in the early childhood.
Some of the experts at the conference shared that as soon as people hear the words “art and child,” they imagine some scribbles on a paper. They added those scribbles are language through which a child conveys their thoughts and memories.
“Art is very important for young children because when they are young they don’t yet have text that they can write and express ideas. So when children are able to use art they can make what they are thinking about, expand their imagination and arts help them in problem solving. It helps them make meaning in their life. It helps them communicate with their ideas,” said the coordinator of the conference, Dr. Margaret Brooks.
An Early Childhood Care and Development Programme Leader of Paro College of Education, Dr. Tshering Wangmo said for children, art is not a mere sketch but about their life.
“In my presentation, I was giving them the example, where one 5 year old boy, whenever he was asked to draw, he used to draw that one structure and teacher simply looked at it and said good boy. But for that child, that house is his grandmother’s house. Three storied house and it has got all the specific details on that house which the teacher did not understand because she has not seen the child’s home. Through art children describe their family, home, culture and their activities”.
Experts said as much as art help children to create equitable and caring society, it can be that useful for school subjects. However they said asking a child to do any form of art restricts the child’s free flow of emotions.
Experts also suggested that including arts in Early Childhood Care and Development will help Bhutan generate creative citizens in future.
