The Delta independent., 1921-11-18
ART TRAINING FOR
LITTLE CHILDREN

(By C. l.. Schaffner, National Kinder
garten College. Chicago)
Walter Scott Perry. director OF the
School of Fine and Applied Arts. Pratt
Institute. Brooklyn, N. ", says:
Drawing is the only universal lam
guage used by men of all ages and Of
all nationalities."
II teachers and parents realized
that this definition of drawing is liter
ally true. more time and attention
would be given to the subject at school
and at home. 1t would not be consid-
cred "frill' nor an extra" but would
be classed as an essential. along with
reading. writing and arithmetic.
All children. especially the very
little folks, who have not mastered
the spoken language well enough to
express themselves clearly. naturally
enjoy making pictures to show what
they have in mind. They should be
given every opportunity to do this.
The difficulty in most homes the rich
as we'll as the poor is that no atten-
tion is paid to this part of the chill
dren's development, and no suitable
material is given them.
| Usually the only medium they find
with which to make pictures is lead
pencil. They use 1t eagerly and with
enthusiasm. partly because OF their
natural desire to draw and partly be-
cause they see the older members Of
the family using It to write with. The
only thing that they can do with the
pencil is to make lines. Consequently
they form the habit OF making crude
drawings in outline which do not in
the least resemble the objects they
see around them. nor the mental pic
ture they have formed of them. BY
the time they are old enough to go to
kindergarten or First Grade. the
habit of drawing in line and of letting
the line stand for the thing they would
like to express in better way II they
could, has become so fixed that 1t has
been mistaken. l believe. by many
teachers. for a natural tendency.
am convinced that IL children
were given material with which they
could make forms as they really see
them they would never be tempted to
draw in outlines. The best and most
responsive mediums for the smallest
children are clay and sand. With
these they can learn to make objects
as they actually exist. with three di.
mensions. They can quickly and
easily express their ideas and carry
out in realistic way the pictures OF
their imagination.
When they are old enough to under
stand that n picture is merely the fiat
representation of the solid forms, they
should be given soft materials that
will make surfaces or masses quickly.
such as chalk (not crayola). charcoal
and water color paints. OF course
these will be somewhat messy" for
them to handle. and the mothers and
teachers who care more about clean
hands and clothes than they do about
the children's development will sub.
stitute the lead pencil and wax cray.
ons or crayoia.
In most homes. and unfortunately
in some kindergartens and primary
grades. most OF the art work which
involves the use OF scissors and paint
involves the use OF scissors and
paints. consists in cutting out and
coloring pictures from magazines or
pictures outlined from patterns This
has little value as art training except
to give skill in the handling OF the
scissors and the BRUSH It is good as
far as II goes. II Is far more educa-
tional. however. and will develop the
child's idea OF form to a much greater
degree to encourage him to cut out
his own forms. without any patterns.
Just as he makes his own drawings
when allowed to express himself free
ly as an individual. Tearing out from
paper forms In which he is interested.
using the thumb md fore finger OF
each hand held close together like
two pairs OF nippers IL also an ex-
cellent way for child to work out
his own idea OF form.
To be OF real value. most OF the art
efforts OF children should be the re-
suits OF their own thinking and see.
ing, just as their talking efforts should
express their own ideas and not con
sist merely In the repetition OF the
words OF those around them.