Reflecting on Arts in Early Childhood Education: Experiences & Impact

This essay reflects on the integration of art in early childhood education, highlighting its importance in developing problem-solving, critical thinking, and creative skills in children. The author discusses how art activities helped in understanding children's thinking and abilities from a different perspective. The essay also touches upon the author's strengths and weaknesses in implementing art in education, emphasizing the preference for an integrated approach. Positive reactions from children and parents' active involvement in art sessions are noted as inspiring aspects. The essay concludes by referencing academic sources that support the role of arts in education and child development, emphasizing the importance of art for the development of holistic human behaviors.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
ARTS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Integration of art in early childhood education plays an important role. Through the
challenges of art, it helps the children to develop problem-solving skills and sharpens their
critical and creative skills. (Barton, Baguley & MacDonald, 2013) As per Arnheim, mentioned in
the book Wright (2015), art and art related activities help the children to develop cognitive
reasoning and make then multifaceted with academic and artistic abilities.
Inclusion or arts in learning helped me to understand the children as I was able to
understand their thinking and abilities from a different perspective, as Wright (2015) mentioned
that people who paint, dance and are associated with music are able to sense people and their
needs. However, while the application of arts in education my strength and weaknesses reflected
in the process. My strength was convincing children to take part in the art process; however, the
weakness was not being able to understand the stream of art for each child as per their need
(Barton, Baguley & MacDonald, 2013).
I would prefer the application of art in the early childhood education as an integrated
education so that with academic development, children could understand the importance of arts
for development of their holistic human behaviors (Wright, 2015). After the application of arts
and associated activities in early education, children reacted positively and were excited to take
part in the sessions and were willing to take part in art-related opportunities. All of them were
excited to take part in educational sessions for music, art, and others (Barton, Baguley &
MacDonald, 2013). The aspects which inspired me to take part in the process was active
involvement of the parents of children in the art and craft sessions as they believed through art
sessions, children would be able to develop cognitive strengths and abilities (Sinclair et al.,

2PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
2017). To make parents aware of the session, I provided them with a pamphlet in which the
importance of art in their educational development was mentioned. Therefore, though this, all of
the parents were informed of the sessions. However, the aspect of this session, which that
resonated with me through the session was children and their parent's excitement about the art
sessions that helped me to take the sessions further for their overall growth and development
(Barton, Baguley & MacDonald, 2013).

3PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
References
Barton, G. M., Baguley, M., & MacDonald, A. (2013). Seeing the bigger picture: Investigating
the state of the arts in teacher education programs in Australia. Australian Journal of
Teacher Education, 38(7), 6.
Sinclair, C., Jeanneret, N., O'Toole, J., & Hunter, M. (2017). Education in the Arts. Retrieved
from: https://www.oup.com.au/books/higher-education/education/9780190304089-
education-in-the-arts
Wright, S. (2015). Children, meaning-making and the arts. Pearson Higher Education AU.
Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=xyriBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Wright,+S.+(Ed.).+(2012).
+Children,+Meaning+Making+and+the+Arts.+(2nd+ed.)+Australia+
+Pearson&ots=T1_1w4QKPQ&sig=7IuneuwNCyBxGrE3uhJrzyvx-OI