SHOWCASE MAGAZINE | 2018
(Simon and Schuster, 1983).
Providing plenty of art materials,
taking your youngster to art mu-
seums, and reading books without
words are all ways to give your
child the early art experiences he
needs to grow into a well rounded
individual.
Other Activities to Encourage
Early Art in Toddlers
Personal Wordless Picture Book:
Let your toddler draw some
pictures, collect them in a binder,
and encourage him to make up
stories about the pictures.
Feet Painting: Spread butcher
paper on the floor. Put some
washable paint in a shallow pan,
and let your toddler use his feet
to paint with.
Musical Painting: Turn on some
classical grooves, and let your
toddler paint to the beat of the
music.
Non-Traditional Painting: Give
your toddler a few non-traditional
items such as a clean deodorant
roller bottle, toothbrush, Q-tip,
and a flyswatter, and let him paint
with each one of the items.
Toddler Mural: Line an entire wall
with butcher paper and tape it se-
curely in place. Give your toddler
a crayon, and let him draw to his
heart’s content.
Food Collage: Gather dry food
items such as cereal, popcorn,
and macaroni noodles. Let your
toddler glue the food on a piece
of card stock to create a master-
piece.
How Arts Can Help
Struggling Learners
Teacher and students at a clay
studio Knowing how to help a
child who struggles to learn is
How music & dance can help
your child’s development
We all know that music and
dancing are fun activities.
Children love to move around
and make noise, but did you
know it’s also an important part
of their development? Danc-
ing, singing and playing music
are part of a child’s process of
growing up and learning what
their bodies can do. It also
teaches children how to inter-
act with other people, objects
and the world around them.
What happens when a child
sings or dances? According to
the QLD Department of Educa-
tion and Training, regular move-
ment experiences help children
to develop movement control,
coordination and strength. The
DET have put together a tip
sheet on the importance of get-
ting children moving, unstruc-
tured play and playing music,
one of the greatest parenting
challenges imaginable. When our
children don’t fit the traditional
model of what a student is or
should be able to do, it can be a
painful and frustrating experience
for the entire family. Is it possible
that the arts, while not a cure-all
for what affects a child’s learning
38
and ways to help your child do
these activities. Children begin
to make sense of sounds before
they leave the womb and the
first response to it is through
movement of their body. When
a child dances, they learn about
how their body can move.
They experiment with travel-
ling motions such as walking,
sliding and jumping, as well as
other movements like twisting,
bobbing and bending. Dancing
uses different muscles than
simply standing and walking
around does, which strengthens
them. Through dance, chil-
dren learn to coordinate and
control their bodies and the
movement helps them develop
spatial awareness. If children
are copying an adult or learn-
ing a set dance such as ‘the
chicken dance’, their listening
and understanding skills will be
improved. They will also begin
to pay more attention to others
sharing the space. Singing is
one way children can under-
stand language and sound.
Through singing, they will
improve their vocabulary and
communication skills. Rhyming
in songs provides exercise for
the brain and develops valuable
process, can provide a lifeline to
children who are having trouble
succeeding in school? Beth Ol-
shansky, author of “The Power
of Pictures: Creating Pathways to
Literacy Through Art,” thinks so.
She noticed that with the help
of a paintbrush, her daughter
was able to access and express