So this is a too much for one blog post, and there are a lot of Montessori authors and bloggers with more experience than me who have a lot of great tips. So instead, let me just share the basics of my process here:
First I have to ask myself a series of questions.
What skills do my children need? What are my lesson goals?
Skills that are taught in the art area can sometimes seem abstract, but many of them are really fine motor and tool use. This area includes lots of practical life inherently, as children learn to rip paper, use scissors, hold a crayon or pencil, pour water, clean with sponges, or open different kinds of containers. If you're the kind of teacher who likes to use skill charts, you use this list and mark your kids as "I - Not Introduced, II - Introduced and Practiced and III - Mastered or a variation of.
Ripping
Cutting
Gluing (glue stick)
Gluing (glue bottle)
Using a pencil
Using a brush
Using a crayon
Using watercolor
Using termperay
Primary Colors
Secondary Colors
Shade (light/dark)
Color Wheel
-Complimentary Colors
-triads
-mixing brown, shades of grey
Sequencing (Extensions of previous skills:combining cutting, gluing, painting etc. in various combinations.)
Staying with-in the lines (control)
Art History (see my Great Artists posts for ideas!)
Art Vocabulary & Concepts (Pick what you or your kids are interested in, but start simple and go slow!)
How do I teach creativity?
It also has a variety of mental and more abstract skills. I think the best way to do this is to:
Minimize rules beyond safety and care.
Once you teach them how to use the tools and materials, don't place limitations on what they can do with them. Young children need skill based work, but after they master those skills always encourage them to create their own projects.
Show them lots of art, language, and challenge them to recreate things they see.
This does not mean teacher led crafts. They should be able to do the projects independently (after being shown, of course). This is their work, not the teachers. However, creating limitations can sometimes help a student explore an area of art more thoroughly and not get overwhelmed.
For instance, limiting the palette to blue, white and black for a project will help a child understand shades of light and dark. And it's a great time to show them Picasso's blue period and ask them how they feel. I like to look at art I am inspired by, or that has caught the children's attention to tie in language, emotions, problem solving and let them mimic the styles they see. Eventually they can create their own blend, as these become tools for their mental toolbox.
How does this make you feel? How does this make your 3 year old feel? You may get some surprising and fun answers.
We made a list of the skills we needed with out particular group of children. Most of the skills above can be taught with the project groups below:
My list looks something:
Make a list.
Art Appreciation (Great Artist study)
Cutting
Gluing
Color Mixing
Watercolor
Coloring
Beading/Stringing
Sewing
Stamping
Clay/Dough
Then we also have a 2 sided easel
Easel (Tempera Paints) & Chalk
Other materials I use from time to time--liquid watercolor, oil pastels, markers, calligraphy brushes, chalk, chalk pastels...more I can't think of now)
Physical Materials: Don't spend a bunch of money!
Once you have your desired skills in mind designate those spaces and get some trays! I LOVE the dollar tree for containers and trays. I prefer clear or neutral trays on the art shelf so the materials will speak for themselves! You can also get most of your art supplies here. Construction paper, containers with lids, watercolor, colored pencils etc. Don't worry about getting expensive art materials in the beginning, especially watercolors.
Once I had my trays and skills, I simply rotate the materials on them by theme and month without having to redo the containers all the time (though it is always nice to throw in a pretty bowl, cup etc. from time to time). I use crayola products and scrap paper for the most part. A printer is a must for rotating watercolor and drawing materials. A scanner is also great for making your own materials.
OK, I have it set up. Now how do I keep them from making a huge mess??? See Part 2 here.