Entertain or Educate: The importance of rich and meaningful visual arts learning experiences with preschoolers

To experience playful meaning making and graphic exploration with quality visual arts materials and processes is a human right. Yet, preschool children often experience a rotating smorgasboard of shallow ‘entertainment’ activities, rather than experiencing the many benefits of high quality, visual arts centred approaches to pedagogy. Grounded in research undertaken with Australian early childhood educators and in constructivist theoretical inspirations, participants will be supported to consider how their own visual arts knowledge and confidence, along with their beliefs about children and childhood, can potentially limit or expand children’s right to access and experience meaningful arts-based learning along a continuum of possibilities. In addition to learning about the benefits and features of quality visual arts experiences, this workshop will support participants to build their knowledge about a range of visual arts languages, materials and processes that are both entertaining and educational.

Completing Entertain or Educate: The importance of rich and meaningful visual arts learning experiences with Preschoolers may contribute one hour of PD that aligns with the NESA (NSW) criteria for Elective PD and addresses:

The Australian Professionals Standards for Teachers: APST 2: Know the content and how to teach it

Early Years Learning Framework Learning Outcomes: Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners

The National Quality Standard: QA 1: Educational program and practice