environments: basics and beyond the stage of clay · environments: basics and beyond the stage of...
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Environments: Basics and Beyond The Stage of Clay
Clayisafinemixtureofdecomposedigneousrockmaterialsandorganicmatter.Clayiscontinuouslybeingformed.
WhatisCLAY?
• Clayisnaturalandcanbeleftoutside
• Clayhasanaturalappeal.
• Alinewithacrayonisunchangeable,howeveralongcoilofclaycanbecomeasnake,thenabowl,thenasnowperson.
• Thepossibilitiesareendlessandchildrenenjoythefreedomtotransformtheircreations.
Stage1:Ataboutagetwo,childrenenjoyplayingandexperimentingwithclay.Theydonottrytocreatespecificobjects,butratheraretryingtounderstandwhatclayisandwhattheycandowithit.Theyarepickinguponallofthesensoryexperiencestheyarehavingandenjoyclayasaprocessingexperience.Stage2:Aroundthreeyears,childrenbecomemoredeliberateintheirclayexperimentations.“Asscientists,theyputclaytoaseriesoftestsbyrolling,pinching,tearing,pulling,andpokingit.Byphysicallyactingonclaytheydiscoveritsproperties.Claycanroll,butitcannotbounceorpour”(Schirrmacher,2006,p.260).Childrenwilllearnhowtomakesimplecoils,balls,and“flattenedcakes,”andusetheseshapesrepeatedly.
GreenandKashin2018
WHYCLAY?
Stage3:Aroundagefouryearoldsbegintotaketheirscientificstudiestothenextstepbybringingtheirclayformstolife.Rolledballscanbecomesnowmenwithfeelingsandthoughtsoftheirown.Whiletheyarenowmakingrealobjectsandcreatures,itishappeningmorebychancethanactualplanning.Stage4:Ataboutfiveyearschildrennowhavetheconfidenceandabilitytocometotheclaytablewithanideaofwhatitistheywanttomake.Forthem,theirchallengeistofindtherightprocessesandstrategiestofulfilltheirideas.Thishelpschildrenlearntoproblemsolveandtocomeupwithcreativesolutionstotheirownideas.
Wholebody:largeandfinemotordevelopment.• Childrenpound,pinch,roll,flatten,poke,tear,
squeeze,coil,stretch,squash,twist,andbendtheirclayintoallsortsofshapesandsizes.
• Whenchildrenstandtodothesetasks,theyengagetheirwholebodies.
Multi-sensoryactivity.
• Claycanfeelslimyandwetoritcanbehard,powderyanddry.
• Differentclayshavedifferentsmellsandcolors.• Childrenheartwouniquesoundswhenthey
squeezewetclaythoughtheirfingersandwhentheypoundtheclayontothetable.
• Evidenceshowsthetherapeuticandself-regulatoryeffectsofworkingwithclay.
Likemanyotherartforms,clayprovidesameansforchildrentoexpresstheirthoughtsandfeelingsinanappropriateway.Whileitmaynotbeokaytopunchafriendwhenachildisupset,itisokaytopoundtheclayintowhateverheorshewouldlike.“Sincechildrenliveinathree-dimensionalworld,itmaybeeasierforthemtouseclaytorepresenttheirworld”(Schirrmacher2006,p.261).Theyareabletocreateclayfamiliesandfriendswhocaninteract.Thiskindofcreationandplayhelpschildrenworkthroughtheiremotionsandfeelings.
BenefitsofClay
GreenandKashin2018
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