montessori art ideas Archives – Page 2 of 2

I’ve learned from experience that if you’re like most Montessori teachers, you’re probably not trained in art. It can seem daunting—or maybe even unimportant—to teach art in the Montessori classroom. But the truth is, teaching visual arts and art literacy to students can have a huge impact on their education.

I get deep into all of this in my new book, Defining Visual Arts. I go over the standards for visual arts, how to understand artistic technique and process, and the art projects and mediums that are best for children. It’s really a quick guide to teaching art in your classroom.

Defining Art Literacy & Standards in the Montessori Classroom

Why Teach Visual Arts?

In my book, I also explain why it’s so beneficial for students to have art lessons as part of their Montessori education. Here are just a few of those reasons you should be teaching it.

Art offers a unique form of communication

Student learn diverse ways to communicate their emotions, ideas, and even other subjects they’ve learned in the classroom.

Art encourages critical and creative thinking

How do you express an idea like peace through watercolors? Through art, students get the chance to think creatively as they express themselves through different mediums and projects.

Art offers a tool for societal, historical, and cultural understanding

Art can be connected back to many different Montessori subjects, from science to literature to history. Experiencing art from other time periods or cultures can give students a different perspective on the other subjects they’re learning.

Art cultivates enjoyment and wellbeing

Being able to express themselves in a way that is neither “right” nor “wrong” allows students to find self-confidence and enhances their overall wellbeing. Plus, playing with paints, clay, and crafting materials is enjoyable and exciting for most students.

Art in the classroom leads to greater art literacy

Art literacy provides a standard for students to discover the artistic process. While art is usually considered to be subjective, having art literacy sort of evens the playing field for how students learn the subject.

What is Art Literacy?

To put it simply, art literacy is the knowledge and understanding required to participate authentically in the arts. It provides students with the opportunity to work through the artistic process, as a part of their education and using visual arts standards.

What are the Visual Arts Standards?

The standards we use to teach visual arts were created after extensive studies and surveys of professional artists—from musicians to sculptors. Researchers observed and analyzed the way art is created, from visualization and ideation to a finished form. All these findings were evaluated and placed into a matrix called The Artistic Process, which consists of four actions: investigate, imagine, construct, reflect.

These visual art standards can be used by teachers all over the country to develop curriculum and evaluate artistic progression in their students. The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) is one of the prominent organizations leading the efforts to unify art standards across the U.S.

As helpful as these standards are, they do not provide guidelines or instruction for how learning in the arts should be delivered. They give teachers the four basic art process actions children should experience while creating artwork. Deciding on the medium (such as crayons or clay), areas of focus (drawing or painting), and technique are all up to you. This is where it gets a little daunting, right?

Don’t freak out!

I’ve done years of research on the development of art understanding and abilities in children, and I’ve tailored my experience and learning to be useful and applicable in the Montessori classroom.

I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. Even if you don’t have an arts background, you can still teach visual arts! In Defining Visual Arts, I break down the subject into five simple domains, and walk you through the mediums and techniques to use in each one. You can purchase a copy of the book online for the ultimate guide on giving your students art literacy and bring art into your classroom!

**Buy Defining Visual Arts in Paperback or Digital Copy Here!**

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5 NEW Ways to Tackle Montessori Art Projects This School Year

By Spramani Elaun

The funny thing about art is that it should be creative—spontaneous even—but as Montessori teachers we can sometimes get stuck in a rut and begin to teach the same art lessons over and over again. I don’t want that to happen to you! Not this school year at least!

It’s back-to-school season, and I know you are gearing up for another awesome year, so I wanted to give you a little push and a little inspiration on tackling art this year. There are so many ways to teach art to your students, and I’d love to help find your creativity in any way I can (so feel free to reach out if every you feel like you’re in a slump!).

I know how busy you are with planning your school year and putting the finishing touches on your classroom, so for now, here are five ideas for new ways to bring art into your classroom.

1. New medium

Is there a medium that you didn’t get the chance to use last year, but you’ve really been wanting to give it a go? Now’s your chance! Cross off a bucket-list lesson and spring for a new medium. Or pop into your local art store and browse the aisles until something strikes your fancy. The possibilities are endless! Think about the brilliant colors of oil pastels, modeling clay, seeds, beans, paint swatches (from the local hardware store), and even “found” items like recycled cardboard, magazines, or plastics.

2. New Art Projects

More than likely, you’re going to start the year by teaching the Great Lessons. And, chances are, you’re going to have a stack of story books that you’ll use and share with your students. So why not look to those books for inspiration? You can highlight the artist’s illustrations or just pull ideas or scenes from the book and make that into an art project. Try extending this idea and move past the story books and into different subjects. For example, if you’re studying the cosmos, create an art project based on that topic.

Over the summer I shared the the book “Hole in the Bottom of the Sea” with kids in my art camp. It shows sealife like jellyfish, crabs, sharks, and seaweed, in a really fun, colorful way. Once we were done reading the book, we made fun painted crafts and created sharks out of up-cycled paper rolls. We also did fish sponge stamps, paper plate jellyfish, crab stamps, and fish-shaped water paintings complete with googly eyes. This one book provided so much inspiration, and it was easy for the kids to make connections to what they had learned about the ocean.

If you’re ever stuck for ideas, Pinterest can be a huge life saver. Just log on, type in the theme or topic you have in mind, add “art project” or “craft” to your search, and you’ll instantly have hundreds of options to choose from! Likewise, your peers and fellow teachers can be a great resource in helping you come up with new art projects this school year. (Follow my Pinterest Boards here)

3. Ask Parents to Help Out

There are two ways parents can really help with art in your classroom, the first is by providing a few of the supplies. At the beginning of the school year, send out a supply list request and ask parents to contribute or donate what they can. You can create a specific wish list or let parents give the supplies they find the most interesting. Most parents understand that art supplies can be expensive and will be willing to help out.

The other way parents can inspire your art lessons is by through volunteering and teaching an art project themselves. So many teachers have shared with me that they’ve invited parents to teach an art project based on their heritage or culture, and it’s always a big hit with students. For instance, I saw one parent come into a classroom and show the kids how to create tinfoil art; the parent presented the entire lesson and the teacher and aides helped the students put it into action.

4. Start Off with an Inspiration Gallery

I’d encourage you to find a spot in your classroom to specifically highlight visual art. You can post students’ artwork or pull together items and pieces that inspire you. A focal point like this not only supports art literacy, but having a place where students can see other artwork will actually inspire them to come up with some really amazing ideas of their own. It might even lead to some inspiration for a few projects for you!

5. Let the Art Shelf Do Its Job

If you haven’t already set up an art shelf in your classroom, this year is the year to do it! I just posted a blog on art shelf essentials. When your art shelf is stocked and all the art supplies are visible and within reach, students can have at it whenever inspiration strikes.

There you have it! I just wanted to give you a few quick tips to help you approach art with a fresh perspective this year. If you’re still stumped for ideas, check out my book “Introducing Visual Arts to the Montessori Classroom;” in it, I list out tons of ideas (organized by theme and subject), so that can serve as inspiration when you need it as well. And if you haven’t already, sign up for my newsletter—every month I’ll be sharing an awesome, really-detailed art lesson specific to the Montessori classroom.

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The Phases of Art Development is a quick digital course that explains how art making can help students develop their creativity, fine-motor skills, and focus. More importantly, I share what types of projects students at every age are capable of completing safely, and without making a mess.

Best of all—it’s free! To sign up for the course, click here.