Integrated Curriculum
Our curriculum can really be summed up with one tiny but grand word: Art.We believe that art for the young child, and indeed for all of us, integratesevery discipline in a creativity fostering and fluid way. Language arts, science,math, music, history, social awareness, and self-exploration are only a few ofthe areas touched upon by the artist at work. As we work side by side with ourstudents we discuss techniques, ideas, material properties and any of a myriadof topics, all within one sitting. As we talk about our art the children's verbalprowess is challenged and enhanced. As they cut, paste, paint and draw, theirmotor skills are honed. As we utilize recycled materials, their social awarenessand understanding of cycles and systems becomes broadened. We count beads, discussshapes, beat our rhythms, dance, explore the complicated concepts of harmonyand the physical property of musical instruments. With the arts our curriculumbecomes fluid and the decontextualized way of learning, as it so often existsin schools, is eradicated.
Wefollow no themes, have no units or formalized lessons, and are never found withchildren sitting before a looming teacher. We learn together, side by side withour hands and our hearts.
For anyone who has ever ventured into the Art Room during its peak hoursof use, it should be obvious that we believe our children should have accessto all the materials that the school possesses - in any combination and accordingto their own schedule. In order for art to live up to its potential as not onlya purely creative pursuit, but also a scientific, mathematic, linguistic andkinesthetic undertaking, we must allow the children to combine materials, makemistakes and-well-make a big mess.
When a child is really learning something about the physical properties ofcolor, she will almost inevitably end up with a brown painting. We have to recognizethat the process through which she went to arrive at that dark, dripping picturewas an important learning event, and that she saw many engaging colors on theroad to the brown product. Teachers who say not to mix the paints because ofthe "icky" brown results are not seeing the bigger picture - just the littlebrown one. Even now there are "educational" films circulating among the elementaryschools of our country that implore children not to mess up a perfectly beautifulpainting by mixing complimentary colors that will result in drab olives and browns.Although, have you ever noticed that when you mix red and yellow paint togetherthe result is seldom the color of a ripe Sunkist orange. We encourage a morehand-on approach to an understanding of processes such as the "color wheel".We encourage a more hand-on approach to everything. In order for us to structurethe Art Room so that the kids have better access to the materials, we have itorganized so that they will always know exactly where the materials are and willbe able to get to them, further enabling them to be the masters of their creativity.
