Understanding Children Understanding Children through their Creations through their Creations

"The teacher whose child within has become like dead wood is not qualified to take responsibility of children. There ought to be not only closeness but also identity and mental similitude, otherwise there cannot be any exchange between the two .... The eternal child in a born teacher comes out in the open at the first call of the children.”

Rabindranath Tagore

Exploring the Exploring the Perceptual Perceptual

World of the World of the ChildChild

The Growing ChildThe Growing Child• What Sources Can we use to

understand the Growing Child – her emotions, capabilities and so on?

The Growing ChildThe Growing Child• Understand the Children by Exploring

their unique perceptual world • In other words, Every Child has his or

her own unique personal life space – Exploring this holds the key to proper understanding

How do we explore?How do we explore?• Child’s creations are the best source

for Exploring their World, their Perceptions and Emotions – what they talk what they draw,

what they play and play with, stories and characters they play-act

– In many ways, Creations of a Child mirror his or her personality

The Growing ChildThe Growing Child• Emotions and capabilities are not

static or finished goods• Let us remember that we are

DEALING WITH A GROWING CHILD – emotions and capabilities are also evolving with age and environment

MY SELF -5 YRS. MY MY SELF -5 YRS. MY SELF-4 YRS. SELF-4 YRS.

Personal Life Space to Social Personal Life Space to Social Life SpaceLife Space

• Need not be the social space that we draw around them

• Social space has its own hierarchy – mother, father, grand parents, other adults, siblings, neighbours, even pets, and so on

• It is Originally Constructed by Every Child – not given by the adult world

• Influence of media – fantasy world and the real world in the life of the Child

Moving from Physical Moving from Physical Description to Behavioural Description to Behavioural

manifestationmanifestation• The statements like “I

can jump”, I can dance, I can wear my clothes, become part of their self concept

• As children grow, these descriptions become more complex

Personal Life Space to Social Personal Life Space to Social Life SpaceLife Space

• With Growth and Development the personal life space of the Child Expands

• Becomes Complex by Incorporating Other’s Perspectives through Interaction, Emulation and Learning

• Leads to Creation of Unique Social Space by Every Child

Evolution of the Social SelfEvolution of the Social SelfHow others perceive gets

incorporated• Views, comments,

statements by significant people at home

• Comments like, ‘you are smart, you are clumsy, ‘oh it is wonderful, you can do it!, Why cannot you do it properly?

• Expansion of child’s world as he/she grows. Learns, to express feelings and ideas, social world of the child expands, learns to make friends, shares, and co-operates with others.

Framework for Analyzing Framework for Analyzing the Child’s Creationthe Child’s Creation

• Recognize that Each Child is a Unique Individual– All children of a particular age share certain

common characteristics but each child is still unique and different.

• Identify and Tap Potential in Children – Every child has a natural urge to develop

one’s own hidden potential and talent. – Satisfaction/deprivation of needs affect

growth and development of children

Framework for Analyzing Framework for Analyzing the Child’s Creationthe Child’s Creation

• Create an Environment of Trust–  Accept children with their strength and

limitations–  Environment of trust develop them into

secured and confident individuals. –  Pleasant childhood experiences help

them to develop positive concept of self

Framework for Analyzing Framework for Analyzing the Child’s Creationthe Child’s Creation

• Age and Stage Appropriate tasks create a Sense of Achievement –  Every child has to go through different

stages of development–  Rate of development may be different

but sequence remains largely the same. –  Match your expectation with their age

and stage of development

Framework for Analyzing Framework for Analyzing the Child’s Creationthe Child’s Creation

• Freedom – A Precondition– Freedom to explore, freedom to express,

freedom to think, freedom to act, freedom to create.

– We cannot park our ideas in the child’s mind– Freedom to explore and fear do not go

together– Freedom to explore cannot be

compartmentalised

Summing Up …Summing Up …

“Child as a natural explorer” and “Freedom to explore as a major educational strategy” as central themes in early childhood education programme

“Free Exploration” is the heart of ‘Building Creative Spaces for Children’