What do you suppose this is?
I almost commented on Maia's "rainbow" when she started her drawing yesterday. Luckily I caught myself.
Because guess what it is?
A cave!
And I got to say things like, "Wow, look at all the black you used!" "You really worked hard on this!" "I love how you filled in each section by drawing up and down." and "Can you tell me about your drawing?"
This is the same kid who almost had a fit when she couldn't find her crayons the other day. She said, "But mom, I'm an ARTIST! I NEED my crayons!"
Yes, she needs her crayons. And her markers. And her easel. Which (embarrassing moment), I just noticed is still on the same low setting it was on when we first bought it three years ago. Note to self: when your kid is sitting on the floor to draw on her easel, it is time to raise it!
Here are some tips for talking with kids about their art.
DO:
- ASK them to tell you about their artwork
- COMMENT on the lines or colors, etc. that they are using (I see that you are making lots of purple dots. I like how the red paint is mixing with the yellow paint here.)
- ACKNOWLEDGE how hard (carefully, enthusiastically, long) they worked on their artwork
DON'T:
- Ask "What is that?"
- Say an automatic "That's pretty" (cool, beautiful)
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