Reflection...

We sat next to our love tree to reflect upon what we have done and to discover how we should continue with our love-tree project. The children each got a small booklet (made from a pice of A4 folded in half)

As I wrote down their words in my notebook they had the opportunity to make their own notes too.

All three children made prewriting marks as well as drawing people. So I  asked if I was correct to read from their notes that love was people. They said yes. They had already expressed an interest in painting again so I asked if they wanted to continue the love project by drawing people. A resounding yes came.

The children took it in turns to draw with a permanent marker. I wanted to give them the opportunity to support and comment on each other's process - which they did. They also asked me why they were starting painting with a pen. I explained that we were going to experiment with a new technique...

to create the water-colour style paint I simply thinned down ready-mix with water . The children were allowed to mix the colours on their paper as much as they wanted. The aim was for them to simply experience this technique - how paint will run if you load the brush with lots of liquid paint etc etc

a person and an airplane

a person who turned into a ghost

a person with teeth missing

I have had the opportunity to reflect myself and with one of my colleagues about how this project can continue. This little group is still forming and so a friendship theme feels important for their social development. We see that the children have an interest in painting - and now this new technique may allow a way to help the children think about friendship and about recognising emotions in others.

Next week the group will look at themselves in the mirror - expressing happy, sad, angry, scared etc - taking the time to recognise the emotions on themselves and on their friends. They will then choose one of these emotions to draw using the same technique above. Hopefully we will have the time and interest to create many new characters - that can become friends with each other. The aim is then for the children to work out who is friends with who from their artwork - and to explain why. Hopefully this will open up an opportunity to think philosophically about friendship and to deepen their understanding of it. The aim is that they can then reflect upon their own behaviour and how this can effect themselves and others... many complex things being woven into and these art sessions for 3-4 year olds. I am excited about how this will develop and where it is going to lead