EXPLORING THE AESTHETIC

EXPERIENCE
The following lecture notes primarily
reflect of an overview of chapters 3 & 4
of Mayesky, 2002.

THE CONCEPT OF AESTHETICS

Aesthetics refers to an appreciation and feeling of wonder for
things pertaining to beauty. Children start by exploring their
imagination and their senses.
Aesthetic experiences emphasizes doing things for the pure
joy of it. The true goal of self-actualization.
Childrens natural manipulation, exploration of objects, and resources
are related to their aesthetic appreciation.
Young children naturally integrate the arts (Graphic Arts, Movement,
Dance, Drama, Music, And Poetry In Their Expressive Activities).

Aesthetics and expression are innate characteristics in young

children. Children gain an aesthetic sense by doing.

AESTHETIC AND THE QUALITY OF LEARNING

Teachers can encourage the aesthetic sense in children in a variety

of ways?
Develop activities which promote opportunities to freely express their attitudes,
feelings, and ideas about art.
Develop activities free from competition and adult judgment.
Interpretation of beauty should not be competative.

Appropriate activities that stimulate awareness and interest.

Science projects that expose children to new and curious objects, interactions, and
ideas

Sensory awareness is nourished by teachers who help young children focus on

the variation and contrast in the environment.
Varying textures such as leaves on a tree
Varying colors associated with

Continuous exposure to new environments and experiences.

Growth comes with diversity and challenge of new exposures.

Setting Up The Environment To Encourage

Aesthetic Discussion
Inclusion of books about artists in the reading areas and in art centers.
Include real art books in the reading and quiet areas of the room.
Display fine-art prints on bulletin boards and walls so that children can
easily see them.
Include art objects in the science table
Invite guest art educators into the classroom to show the children art
objects to look at, touch, and talk about.
Give children an opportunity to choose their favorites from a selection
of fine- art prints.

BENEFITS OF AESTHETIC SENSITIVITY

Aesthetic sensitivity is important for children because it improves the

quality of learning and encourages the creative process.

Development of an aesthetic sensitivity is an initial talent that can later

lead to advances in critical thinking as children develop greater insight
into their environment.

Aesthetic sensitivity promotes self-learning because they become more

sensitive to gaps in their knowledge.

Children are more tolerant because they learn that there are many
possible ways of doing things.
Consequently, they are also better able to deal with complexity because they
do not expect to find one best answer.

Children are more independent because they are more open to their own
thoughts. They are good questioners for the same reasons.

AESTHETIC EXPERIENCES
Aesthetic experiences for young children can
take many forms. They can involve
appreciation of
The Beauty Of Nature
The Rhythm
Imagery Of Music Or Poetry
The Quality Of Works Of Arts

KEY POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION

Art appreciation can occur through the combined
experiences of:
Learning to look at visual arts
Learning to create visual arts.
Learning to think about art through question
resolution.
Discussions about artwork should be linked with childs
natural interests and their level of understanding.
Art appreciation should also be linked with the
resources in childrens everyday life (i.e.,man-made
objects).

Colbert and Taunton (1992) suggest three

major themes that are evident in high-quality
early education
1. Children need many opportunities to create art.
1. Children need many opportunities to look at
and talk about art.
1. Children need to be become aware of art in
their everyday lives.

PROMOTING AESTHETIC
EXPERIENCES

PROMOTING AESTHETIC EXPERIENCES

LOOKING AND SEEING

In many ways, what children look for is reflective of

their internal needs and the resources available to
them.

Resources may be personal (interpersonal problemsolving skills, senses, cognitive and motor
competencies)

Resources may be environmental

Something can be stimulating to a child for many

different reasons.

Basic Guidelines For Preparing A Stimulating

Activity:
1. Can children experience it with more than one sense?
2. Can children interact with it?
3. Are the children interested in it?
4. Is the activity well paced?
5. Does it promise to be rewarding?

Teachers Should Ask Themselves Two

Questions Each Day When Working With
Preschool Children.
1. Have the children done something today that
has helped them feel good about themselves?
Introspection Development
1. Have the children done something today that
has helped them use their imagination in either
the past, present, or future? Fantasy
Development
Lesson plans, activities, and trips should be planned and
evaluated with these two questions in mind.

FINDING AND ORGANIZING AESTHETIC

MATERIALS
Sometimes the desired materials are too expensive or difficult to find. There are three resources with great
potential
1.

Salvage materials, commonly known as junk.

2.

Hardware store.

3.

Things the children bring in.

Some Guidelines For Choosing Materials With Good Aesthetic Potential.

1.

Choose materials that children can explore with their senses (touch, sight, smell).

2.

Choose materials that children can manipulate (twist, bend, cut, color, mark).

3.

Choose materials that can be used in different ways (thrown, bounced, built with, fastened, shaped).

Children enjoy finding materials because it suggests exploration and discovery.

Children develop aesthetic skills in sensing and exhibiting by helping build a beauty corner.

Older children enjoy the same experience of collecting materials, but can go further into associating
materials with the elements of art.

AESTHETIC USE OF MATERIALS

The process of making out stuff from materials and the childs personal involvement
in it are the keys here- not the finished product.

Children must have the opportunity not only to find materials but also to try them out.
Lots of experimenting with the materials is required to determine what the children
feel they need.

Considerations in the creative process:

1. Ask the child what they would like to say with the materials?
1. Checking with the childrens mood may be helpful too.
1. Not to give children too many materials too often.

The process of exploring materials with older children usually involves the creation of
more complex works of art.

Older children pay greater attention to expressing specific ideas in their work and are
more intentional in their approach to using materials.

A variety of interesting materials need to be available for their aesthetic experiences

as they are not distracted by quantity of materials.

GUIDANCE IN USING AESTHETIC MATERIALS

Adult guidance is vital but not to the detriment of the childs natural creativity
and curiosity. Guidance must be very gentle, supportive, and sensitive.

The teacher can give guidance in several ways:

1.

Asking questions aimed at helping the children reach out for and
get the payoff they are seeking.

1.

Avoid too many ready-made models or ways of doing things

Teaching children over and over to do something in only one
way ruin their aesthetic sense.

2.

Be positive and creative when using models or examples

Occasional use of models and examples is not uncommon in many

classrooms today.
Examples and models by other children can help motivate children to get
started on making one of their own.
Teachers comment throughout activities can help encourage each child to be
creative in their approach.

GUIDANCE IN USING AESTHETIC MATERIALS

Cont.
4. Help children select the materials they prefer.
This may mean asking the children which materials they plan to use
Be patient with children and choices
5. Help children hunt for aesthetic qualities.
Help children get in touch with what they feel about differences.
Encourage older children to identify and analyze more subtle and complex visual
relationship.
6. Help children use other senses when only one sense seems necessary.
7. Help children experience basic elements of art such as line, rhythm, and
contrast in many art forms.
Creative movements (or dance) display a strong relationship to the basic art
element of line

The element of rhythm is most frequently associated with music,

dance, and poetry, but it can be just as much a quality in art.

The element of contrast provides one of the most exciting

characteristics in all the arts.

DISPLAYING CHILDRENS WORK

An important part of the teachers role in developing childrens aesthetic

sensitivity is showing their work to parents and others.

Set up displays to show different ways the children have used a medium,
such as painting, collage, clay.

Let the room reflect the childrens diversity, their likes, their interest.

Take time at the end of the day to show artwork to the children, letting
them talk about each others work.

Model for the children how to make a positive components.

Send all artwork home in a way that shows your respect for the
artist and the art.

INTERPRETING CHILDRENS CREATIVE WORK

FOR PARENTS

Parents should be helped to see what the

child liked about the creative work.
Parents should also know why some
materials are used by their children and
others are not.
Parents should learn to approach their childs
making of gifts, art exhibits, and displays as
demonstrations of the childs aesthetic sense.

INTERPRETING CHILDRENS CREATIVE WORK FOR

PARENTS Cont.

Childrens creative work can help parents know

about their children.
Teachers can assist parents in showing the
visual examples of the creative process and
pointing out that they are valuable for the
process alone.
Teachers can assist parents of older children to
see and appreciate the progression of images
that are growing more subtle and complex in
their childs art.