Everyone loves a compliment. While in a bookstore recently, I overheard a child say, “Last year I was the top reader in my class.” Mom replied, “Are you the top reader this year?” The child, with honesty, responded, “I don’t know.” This conversation was painful to hear. Mom missed an excellent opportunity to validate the achievement of her child. Her question ignored the achievement and drained the child’s enthusiasm. Achievement in art cannot be measured as easily as subjects like reading speed, so it is important to validate what your child produces. Validation helps a child to feel that they have accomplished their goals in art and can do so in the future. A common scenario in art is that a child shows the parent a picture and expects a response. “What is it?” you might say. The child, knowing what was in his head, sees the objects or scene clearly, so this question causes the child to doubt his ability to communicate to you through drawing. When this scenario is played out over and over again, it wears away at his confidence and is at the least, a missed opportunity for validation. But it is not a mystery or difficult to validate, even when the colorful marks resembling ameba-like figures are a mystery. Ask your child to “tell you about it.” Invite the story. By listening, you will begin to understand your child’s art better with the added bonus of getting to know what he has on his mind. Follow with “I like…” then react to one aspect of the picture. It might be the colors, the lines, the fun shapes, or how he filled the page. That is validation. Remember that you each have a goal.
1. Your child’s goal is to get validation for his efforts from a trusted source- you.
2. Your goal is to encourage him to continue in his efforts to communicate through visual pictures and by doing so, he will improve in motor skills, skills of observation, and technical proficiency. That’s a lot on the learning achievement scale! Validation gives us all the courage to go forward.
Great teachers listen. “Tell me about your picture.”
Great teachers tell their students one thing they’ve done well so that it can be repeated. “I like…”
Great teachers guide when they know the child is ready. “These dark marks draw my attention to this area. You can use dark marks to make my eye go where YOU want it to go!”
Brenda Ellis is author and illustrator of the ARTistic Pursuits art program for children, which has become a staple in the homeschool community for 20 years. Her combined experience as a homeschool mom and classroom art teacher of twenty years has been used to help families get a great art education at home. You can contact Brenda by email at: alltheanswers@artisticpursuits.com