ECCDD301A - Visual & Media Arts: Justifying Importance in Curriculum

This essay discusses the importance of visual and media arts in early childhood and school curricula, particularly for children aged 0-5. It argues that despite the current national curriculum's focus on STEM subjects, visual and media arts are crucial for children's learning and development, enhancing skills, promoting pattern recognition, and fostering creative thinking. The essay also emphasizes the role of art in understanding and appreciating diverse cultures, enabling children to express their perspectives and connect with their cultural heritage. Furthermore, it explores the idea of children as producers of art, not just consumers, highlighting their ability to create meaningful art that reflects their unique views and experiences. The essay concludes by advocating for the inclusion and promotion of visual and media arts in the national curriculum to support holistic child development.

Visual Essay

Running head: Visual Essay
Why are the visual and media arts important in early childhood and
school curricula?
Visual and media arts play a great role in early childhood and in school Curriculum. It
has a role in the successful existence of human and also in child development. In child
development visual and media, art helps to form connections in the brain that assist in learning
the concepts in a proper manner. So, in this paper, the discussion will be made on the importance
of visual and media arts in early childhood and school curriculum (Bruce, Hakkarainen &
Bredikyte, 2017). It has been seen that the current national curriculum focuses on promoting
science, technology, English, and Mathematics in preference over the Arts. But it can be stated
that visual and media art also plays a significant role in the school curriculum.
Visual and media art is important for children learning and development in many ways.
One of the benefits of Art is related with enhancing the skills of the individuals. There are
various ideas which take place at the time of making art. For the children who belong to the age
of 0 to 5 years can easily develop their skills by focusing on the concepts related to art. At the
time of making art, the development can take place in the age of 3 when the children learn to
draw a circle or use safety scissors. Teachers have an important role as they consider various
strategies which can help the children to learn about visual and media art. For the children who
come under the category of 0 to 5, it can be investigated that teachers can consider the strategies
like game and storytelling so that children can easily develop their thinking skills which can also
be considered as the visualization skill (Eckhoff, 2008). In the age of 4 children start drawing a
square and begin drawing a straight line. It can be seen that there are many preschools who
emphasizes on enhancing the skill of the children at the time of writing. So, it can be stated that
the skills of children can be developed by taking into consideration the concept of art.
Visual art also has an important role in enhancing the capability of children learning
pattern. It can be investigated that by seeing visual pictures, children can easily recall the
information. The children who are in the age of 0 to 5 can be attracted towards the pictures and
with the help of the graphics; it can be simple to enhance the knowledge, as they will visualize
things when required. By showcasing attractive pictures in front of the children who are in the
category of 0 to 5 can be effective as it can help to connect with the pictures and this can lead to
the overall enhancement in the learning process. Art can also be considered as freedom as
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Running head: Visual Essay
through this the children can easily showcase their personal point of view which indirectly
enhances the thinking power of the students. By showcasing unique art in front of children can
help to gather different views and opinions (Shedd & Coyner, 2015).
So, it can be stated that Visual art plays an important role in enhancing the connection
with different concepts and also with this the thinking pattern of the children develops and they
start learning and acquiring new things. Therefore, Visual and media art is important for children
learning and development. It encourages the children to pursue their original ideas and also
opinions. Visual and media art helps to engage the children so that the capability to solve the
problems can be enhanced effectively and it also enhances the value of diversity and difference
among the children (Schulte & Thompson, 2018).
Visual and media art in the cultural lives of children and families play a significant role.
It can be stated that art is related to different things in different culture. Art can be open to
different perceptions and interpretations. Art can showcase the culture of the different people.
Like by seeing a particular picture, the feeling can be provoked in the children. It also determines
that how they have seen the picture and what are their views for a particular picture. By this, the
children can relate to the different culture and can also give views and opinions. This will help
the children who belong from 0 to 5 to visualize things and to store it for a long time. Parents can
also help the children in enhancing the learning and pattern and it develop the thinking pattern
(Christensen & Kirkland, 2010).
People are living in the diverse society which simply states that the pictures of different
groups in media can be showcased in different manner. By seeing the art or visual images the
children can easily learn about their culture. The children who are in the age of 0 to 5 can acquire
the knowledge by seeing the art and visual paintings. Also, for families, it is easy to showcase
their culture with the help of arts and visual painting. The children who are in the age of 0 to 5
can acquire the knowledge of different dances and different cultures through different pictures
related to art. Like by seeing the picture they can easily gather the data of the crane dance, that
how it is done and what costumes are used. This can help to gather the information and children
can collect this data for the long time (Wright, 2015).
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Running head: Visual Essay
So, visual and media art in cultural lives of children and families play an important role
as it helps the children to know about the different culture of different people and also parents
can showcase it by showing pictures to the children. The media art or visual seen by the children
can help to acquire knowledge for a long time. Also with this, it can be seen that with this
improvement in academic performance can also take place. Also, it can be stated that children
who emphasize on making arts are more likely to recognize as academic achievers (Henderson &
Lasley, 2014).
The role of children as producers, not purely consumer of art culture can be explained in
terms of the overall role of the children. It can be stated the children plays an important role as
the producers as they also make the art that showcase the culture. The children can be considered
as the producers when they start focusing on expressive arts like dance, drama, and music.
Producers are those who start with the own ideas, so in this context, the children can be
producers when they showcase their views and opinion in their art. There are many children who
have an interest in making creative arts through which message can be conveyed to the audience.
In such cases, the children can be considered as the producer. They are not considered as the
consumer of purely art as they also try to make their own art with their own innovation. The
teachers can make the children producers by taking into consideration the strategies like role play
and storytelling as it can help them to think more (NQS PLP, 2012). The main role of the
children is to grab the right idea so that they can visualize in a proper manner and can make a
unique art. To make an art, it is important to think out of the box so that the art which is made
can be different and unique. So, children can also be considered as the producer who can
showcase their culture. There are many children of the age 3 to 4 who emphasize on making the
art related to their culture. If children are able to showcase their thinking and feeling related to
culture in their art then they can easily be considered as the producers and not only the
consumers of the art culture. But to be the producers the children has to play an important role.
They have to focus on the unique art made by others and should also see different images so that
they can create their own unique art. The children role is to collect the right data so that the art
which they are making can be showcased in front of the people with proper meaning (Segal,
2018).
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Running head: Visual Essay
Game drawing is also considered as the method that can help the children to maintain
their focus on the social and verbal interactions. In this, the emphasis is given on the visual script
which is made by the children themselves. So, with the help of the visual script, the children can
make the image in a proper manner and also it can consider the dramatic gestures that can help to
maintain the views and opinions of the children (Soundy, 2015). In this, when children make
their own art and portray in front of others then it helps them to share their views and opinions
with others. Also many times children use their own experience to showcase their art which
consists of the powerful meaning. Therefore, it can be said that children play a great role as the
producers not only as the consumers in the art culture (Richards, 2014).
So, by analyzing the paper it has been concluded that visual and media arts play an
important role in enhancing the knowledge and skills of the children who come under the age
category of 0 to 5. Visual art and media are important as it helps to enhance the thinking pattern
of the children. With the help of this, the children can easily think out of the box and can share
their views and opinions.
Also, in the cultural lives of the children and families, there is an important role in visual
and media arts as it helps them to relate to the different culture. The children can also be
considered as the producers as they can make their own art which gives some meaning. So, it can
be stated that national curriculum should also emphasize on visual and media arts as it helps the
children to develop and also through arts they can easily share their experiences and views.
Visual and media arts have an important role in the lives of children and it should be promoted
so that children can learn new things.
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Running head: Visual Essay
References
Bruce, T., Hakkarainen, P., & Bredikyte, M. (Eds.). (2017). The Routledge International
Handbook of Early Childhood Play. Taylor & Francis.
Christensen, L. M., & Kirkland, L. D. (2010). Early childhood visual arts curriculum: Freeing
spaces to express developmental and cultural palettes of mind. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/89071281?accountid=10344
Eckhoff, A. (2008). The importance of art viewing experiences in early childhood visual arts:
The exploration of a master art teacher’s strategies for meaningful early arts
experiences. Early childhood education journal, 35(5), 463-472.
Henderson, C. M., & Lasley, E. (2014). Creating Inclusive Classrooms through the Arts.
Dimensions Of Early Childhood, 42(3), 11-17.
NQS PLP. (2012). Newsletter 44: Nurturing creativity. Retrieved from:
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp/e-newsletters/newsletters-41-45/
newsletter-44/
Richards, R. (2014). The private and public worlds of children’s spontaneous art. Studies in Art
Education, 55(2), 143-156.
Schulte, C. M., & Thompson, C. M. (Eds.). (2018). Communities of Practice: Art, Play, and
Aesthetics in Early Childhood (Vol. 21). Springer.
Segal, H. (2018). Imagination, play and art. In Unconscious phantasy (pp. 211-221). Routledge.
Shedd, M. K., & Coyner, R. L. (2015). Every Color on the Canvas: Using Art to Explore
Preschoolers' Understanding of Differences. YC Young Children, 70(3), 84.
Soundy, C. S. (2015). Making Sense of Children's Drawings and Semiotic
Explorations. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 43(3), 39-46.
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Wright, S. (2015). Children, meaning-making and the arts. Pearson Higher Education AU.
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